Perceptions and realities of land degradation in arid Otjimbingwe, Namibia

We examined the perceptions and realities of land degradation in a communal ranching area, Qtjimbingwe, in arid Namibia (in south-western Africa). It is commonly perceived that large-scale degradation of Otjimbingwe has occur red due to a mixture of improper pastoral practices and pressures induced b y a high human population growth rate. We sought to determine whether the i nhabitants perceived land degradation to have taken place and whether their perceptions were consistent with empirical data on environmental quality. Furthermore, we wished to determine whether these pastoralists had manageme nt strategies to help them withstand the harsh environmental conditions in which they live. All respondents in our surveys perceived that the environm ent had become degraded. The claimed source of this degradation, a decline in annual rainfall, is inconsistent with long-term rainfall records (there was neither change nor cyclicity in rainfall over time). There is also litt le evidence of a decline in plant cover and soil quality in spite of the ve ry high stocking densities. No overall pastoral strategy exists in Otjimbin gwe. Options for management are extremely limited due to a variety of exter nal and internal pressures such as a high human population growth rate, hig h immigration into Otjimbingwe, restricted water availability due to darns constructed upstream, and limited movement opportunities for livestock in d rought periods. (C) 2000 Academic Press.