Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, Sept. 25 — A project consortium, consisting of the University of Namibia (UNAM), Farm4trade, Omeva Consulting, Agriconsult Namibia and Agroecological Services, has launched a series of informative videos that showcase the ground-breaking methodology and behind-the-scenes content for the project, “Namibia: A New Dataset for Rangeland and Pasture Management”.
These videos aim to generate awareness and support for the project’s mission to revolutionise pasture management strategies in Namibia.
With the support of the Lacuna Fund, an American institution committed to advancing machine learning tools in low and middle-income contexts, the project consortium has collaborated to showcase this informative campaign to highlight the social value of the project and its potential to address critical challenges faced by Namibia’s agricultural sector.
Importance of the rangeland and pasture management videos
Namibia’s rangelands and ecosystems confront significant threats, including soil erosion, land degradation and biodiversity loss, which pose risks to local food security and rangeland health.
The videos highlight the urgency of addressing these challenges and emphasise the importance of sustainable pasture management strategies. It showcases the innovative approach of the dataset in collecting and georeferencing data from various regions in Namibia, which will provide valuable insights to farmers and communities for effective rangeland management, planning and mitigation.
Sustainable pasture management strategies – what our experts say
Maria Luisa de la Puerta Fernandez, CEO & Lead Consultant, Omeva Consulting:
“After years working in several initiatives fighting Bush encroachment and Range-line degradation, this project came in as an amazing opportunity to present a united front in order to tackle these issues. Besides, since I am an animal nutritionist I have worked with communal and commercial farmers all over the country. Therefore, I quickly saw the benefits of creating this data set and so did the stakeholders.”
Dr Absalom Kahumba, Rangeland Scientist and Senior Lecturer, UNAM:
“Due to the high amount of data needed to develop a machine learning algorithm, we decided to create a robust and replicable method. For that purpose, we counted on the experienced forest rangers and scientists, not only from the University but also from the private sector such as Dr Axel Rothauge and Dr Cornelis van der Waal.”
Prof Simon Angombe, Associate Dean: School of Agriculture & Fisheries Sciences, UNAM:
“Climate change and Bush encroachment within Western situations that’s why we need to join hands to see how we can overcome this persistent problem.”
Hiskia Akathingo, Animal Science graduate, UNAM:
“I recently completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Animal Science, and I am so happy to work with this Lacuna Project that aims to improve pasture and Range-line management strategies. I can only ask that we have more of such projects, and companies such as these on the project, because with climate change on the rise we really need to conserve and protect our biodiversity.”
Conclusion
The “Namibia: A New Dataset for Rangeland and Pasture Management” project is a significant initiative that aims to revolutionise pasture management strategies in Namibia. The informative videos launched by the project consortium provide valuable insights into the project’s methodology and potential to address critical challenges faced by the country’s agricultural sector.
Sustainable pasture management is essential for protecting Namibia’s rangelands and ecosystems, ensuring local food security, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The project’s innovative approach to data collection and analysis will provide farmers and communities with the tools they need to make informed decisions about pasture management.
I encourage everyone to watch the informative videos and learn more about this important project.
