January 2026: Two Master's theses successfully completed in NamTip

The successful completion of two Master's theses marks another example of capacity building within the NamTip project. Both theses were supervised by Dr. Markus Rauchecker and Dr. Stefan Liehr (ISOE) in collaboration with Leuphana University Lüneburg and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and contribute valuable insights to ongoing research on Namibia’s rangeland systems, while already informing project outputs.

Marlen Britsch completed her MSc thesis in August 2025, titled “Exploring Human and Social Capital in Namibian Rangeland Systems: Feedback Loops and Implications for Farm Abandonment – A Commercial Farmers’ Perspective.” Her study examines how interacting forms of capital and system dynamics influence resilience and the risk of farm abandonment among commercial cattle farmers in Namibia. The findings have contributed to NamTip Factsheet #13 and are currently being prepared for submission as a scientific publication.

Svea Muche completed her MA thesis in January 2026, titled “Bush Biomass Value Chains in Namibia – A Transformation in the Making?” Her work explores the development of bush biomass utilisation, with a focus on charcoal and wood chip value chains, and analyses key drivers and barriers shaping the sector. Insights from her research have been incorporated into NamTip Factsheet #15.

The NamTip team congratulates both graduates on their achievements and thanks them for their important contributions to the project!