Escaping cruel irony in Ngamiland

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator, Helen Clarke came bearing gifts for the battle-weary residents of Ngamiland during her recent visit. Namely a shiny, new Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project which aims to defuse the ticking timebomb that is Ngamiland’s deteriorating ecosystem. At the heart of the district’ woes is an expanding population whose numbers are weighing on the finite natural resources. The resources themselves are divided between the tourism and pastoral sectors with frequent turf wars between the two.

Being a semi-arid region, Ngamiland’s grazing land is historically limited and cattle farmers who cannot afford to buy feed for the livestock have frequently been accused of leading their beasts to pastures beyond the buffalo fence.