Exploring pastoralists’ perceptions of desertification tipping points in Namibia’s communal drylands: An ethnographic case study from Okakarara constituency

Most studies and conceptualizations of tipping points in environmental and climatic systems have been conducted using natural science perspectives and approaches. Socio-scientific contributions—including Anthropology—are scarce. This has resulted in a limited understanding of the socio-cultural dime...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pastoralism : research, policy and practice policy and practice, 2022-12, Vol.12 (1), p.3-3, Article 3
Main Author: Menestrey Schwieger, Diego Augusto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Anthropology
Applied Ecology
Arid lands
Arid zones
Aridity
case studies
Climate system
Cultural factors
Desertification
Desertification tipping points
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecosystems
Environment
Environmental Management
Ethnography
Farmers
Livestock
Livestock farming
Local knowledge
Namibia
Pastoralism
qualitative analysis
Sustainable Development
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Summary:Most studies and conceptualizations of tipping points in environmental and climatic systems have been conducted using natural science perspectives and approaches. Socio-scientific contributions—including Anthropology—are scarce. This has resulted in a limited understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions of tipping point phenomena at the local level. This paper contributes to ongoing discussion and provides an ethnographic study of local perceptions of desertification tipping points (DTPs) amongst Ovaherero pastoralists in Namibia’s semi-arid Okakarara constituency. Following a qualitative approach, this study shows that experienced farmers are aware of these phenomena and have accumulated extensive knowledge enabling them to identify and anticipate DTPs in different, complementary ways. The paper discusses how DTPs are managed in a communally farmed setting and presents the challenges that livestock farmers face in practical prevention of DTPs.
ISSN:2041-7136
2041-7128
2041-7136
DOI:10.1186/s13570-022-00231-x