Mixed reactions over rhino relocation to NG 32

By Solomon Tjinyeka 

The recent relocations of white rhinos into the NG 32 wildlife management area (WMA) have been received with mixed feelings by the communities.  Some members of the communities view the development as a dress rehearsal for their ultimate removal from their ancestral area while others view the rhinos’ presence as a boost to the local tourism sector. Those who are fearful of the development decry a lack of prior consultations and increased security activities in the area, which impact negatively on their day-to-day lives.
The councillor for Bojanala ward, Luke Motlaleselelo, has maintained that the rhinos’ relocation into their area was carried out without their knowledge and that this has caused confusion among the communities. Motlaleselelo explained that residents also fear that their personal security is at stake and their social life will be negatively affected. The councillor also explained that the first batch of rhinos was relocated into their area in September and the second batch came in early November and that all have since been released into the concession. “As the community   leadership, we are concerned because we were not consulted and this will negatively affect us in the long run,” he said.
He further stated that since the arrival of rhinos in the area, residents’ social life and freedom of movement have been disrupted by security personnel, particularly soldiers, who are always searching them. “People are not living free as they used to because wherever they go they are always searched and repeatedly told not to go where the rhinos are,” he said. He added that this has increased human/wildlife conflict in the area. He cited an incident in which a rhino attacked a mokoro belonging to a community poler and “in another incident a disabled man from Ditshiping was harassed by soldiers as he was forced to offload the grass from his vehicle.”

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Heat Wave Characteristics in the Context of Climate Change over the Past 50 Years in Botswana

By Oliver Moses

Abstract

Heat waves have impacts on human health, society and the economy. This study seeks to improve the understanding of their characteristics in Botswana. For their identification, a heat wave is defined as a period when daily maximum temperatures exceed the normal maximum temperatures by 5 0 C for at least five successive days. Four heat waves variables: (i) mean severity, (ii) mean frequency, (iii) mean duration, and (iv) mean number of heat wave days, have been estimated. Daily maximum temperature observational data for nine synoptic weather stations, which have been used in the study, were obtained from the Botswana Department of Meteorological Services. The stations had data records falling within the period 1959 to 2015 (56 years). The selected heat waves variables have been analysed for trends, whose statistical significance have been assessed using the Mann Kendall test. It has been found that the stations’ mean severity and mean number of heat wave days (the more robust heat waves variables) generally had rising trends over the period 1959 to 2015. The Mann Kendall test revealed that two of the nine selected stations’ mean severity had trends that were statistically significant at 10% significance level. It also revealed that a different pair of the selected stations had statistically significant trends in their mean number of heat wave days. The trends in the other stations’ mean severity and mean number of heat wave days were not statistically significant. With regard to the trends in the mean duration and mean frequency (the less robust heat waves variables), the test indicated that they did not have statistically significant trends at the chosen level of significance.

Read more here http://journals.ub.bw/index.php/bnr/article/view/973/589

Innovative information services in the digital environment — Reference and Information Services Section

Abstract:
With the explosion of information and the popularity of the Internet, librarians have faced new challenges to look for new ways to meet the user’s new demands and expectations. The need to bring information to various users has encouraged the creation of many innovative services linking new technology with traditional library information services. This article explores information pushing programs, other E-reference services and knowledge service as potential sources of innovative reference programs in the digital environment on the basis of practice of the NLA’s reference services.
Read here https://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2011/197-li-en.pdf

All I Know - Fosta Juliano & HT Tautona