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 Periodical article |
 Leiden University catalogue |
 WorldCat |
| Title: | Land use practices in Caprivi's changing political environment |
| Authors: | Colpaert, Alfred Matengu, Kenneth Polojärvi, Katja |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Periodical: | Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (ISSN 2026-7215) |
| Volume: | 2 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Pages: | 141-162 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Namibia |
| Subjects: | land use subsistence farming agricultural history |
| Abstract: | This paper gives an account of developments that led to present land use practices and their effects on the eco-system in the eastern parts of Caprivi (Namibia) and presents a case study of the Salambala conservancy. The paper is based on both fieldwork and literature, including government reports. For the case study of Salambala, aerial pictures taken in 1970, 1996 and 2006 have been analyzed. In the pre-colonial period (pre-1890), the early inhabitants of east of the Kwando River were hunters and gatherers. Climatic and hydrological conditions enabled the first Bantu communities to practice settled subsistence agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries, a time when the Lozi and the Kololo kings ruled this area. Its location between perennial rivers made eastern parts of Caprivi good and easily defensible grazing area, but the prevalence of malaria and cattle diseases made the area less tempting for European and South African farmers. Due to its remoteness German (1890-1915) and South African (1915-1990) colonial administrations exercised little influence on land use and agricultural practices. Land use in East Caprivi remained characterized by small-scale subistence farming practiced in a traditional way on communal land. The authors identify seven factors that have contributed to the way the land is used until the present. [ASC Leiden abstract] |