Who We Are

Deborah Sporton

Deborah is the Principal Investigator on the project. Her specific research interests lie in demography, poverty and society-environment interactions in response to policy changes. More details about Deborah´s research interests and publications can be found on her homepage. She has been involved in collaborative research with colleagues from UNAM for the last ten years and has acted as Principal Investigator on projects in southern Africa funded through the ESRC Global Environmental Change Programme and DfID.

Alfons Mosimane

Alfons is a staff member of the Multidisciplinary Research and Consultancy Centre (MRCC), Life Sciences Division (LSD) at the University of Namibia. He is presently the Head of the LSD, and a Project leader and Researcher in Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM). Mr. Mosimane is also a part-time lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource (FANR), the Department of Natural Resources and the Zero Emission Research Initiative (ZERI) project manager. He has worked in the field of natural resources management for the past 10 years with a focus on community based nature conservation, land tenure, community based water management and rural development. He also worked as a researcher on the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Agricultural production in Namibia for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Johanna Mbandi

Johanna is a junior research fellow at the Multidisciplinary Research and Consultancy Centre (MRCC), University of Namibia and has been employed as one of the research team on the project. Johanna has a background in adult education and has specific expertise in community development projects. From, Ohangwena in the North Central region, Johanna has undertaken much of the fieldwork on the project. She is now employed on the Butterfly project that explores socio-economic and bio-medical impact of the introduction of affordable health insurance (Including HIV/AIDS treatment) in Namibia.

Samson Mulonga

Samson Mulonga is a graduate of the University of Namibia with a background in CBNRM. He has extensive experience of community-based field research having worked a researcher on the DFID funded WILD project in Namibia before taking up a post as a junior research fellow at the MRCC, UNAM to work on this project in which he jointly undertook fieldwork with Johanna Mbandi. In January 2006 he took up a post on the Ministry of Environment and Tourism SPAN (Strengthening the Protected Area Network project) as Field Coordinator for the South Region.