DFG Approves New Project on Rangeland Degradation in Namibia
The German Research Foundation DFG recently approved a three-year project proposal by Global South Studies Center (GSSC) researcher Diego Menestrey Schwieger. The project will investigate rangeland degradation in Namibia, specifically „bush encroachment“, a phenomenon in which palatable grasses and shrubs are replaced by encroaching woody species of little or no benefit to cattle, thereby reducing land accessibility for livestock.
The study is centered around Namibia’s eastern communal areas, particularly the Okakarara Constituency. With this project, Schwieger aims to utilize the potential of environmental anthropology to complement the natural science literature on land degradation in pastoral systems by shedding light on human dimensions of bush encroachment.
