Namibia’s largest economic sectors – mining, fishing, tourism and agriculture – are very closely linked to its land. This conjunction often involves challenges. In case of agriculture, one of the major challenges is bush encroachment.
Bush encroachment occurs in most regions of Namibia, affecting different ecosystems and land uses. This makes it a complex problem. Impacts can vary, depending on the surrounding environment (e.g. types of soil, other vegetation, wildlife), how the land is used and could be harnessed (e.g. cattle farming, tourism) and how many people depend on the land.
There are many interlinked factors contributing to bush encroachment, but overgrazing is thought to be one of the key drivers. Depending on the area and nature of encroachment, other factors might include the displacement of browsers, suppression of high-intensity fires, climatic conditions, low population pressures and increased CO2 concentrations.
Experience shows that the rapid spread of bush encroachment becomes an overwhelming problem for commercial and communal agriculture in Namibia.
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