The rangelands are under pressure

Rangeland is defined as land with natural forage that is utilised by livestock and wild animals. Its productivity depends on rainfall and utilisation. Rangeland plants require favourable environmental conditions and adequate protection to establish, spread and remain resilient in agro-ecosystems and livestock farming areas.

In grazing areas, key attributes used to assess rangeland productivity include grass vigour, density, species composition and abundance. These indicators reflect the resilience of grass after dormancy and grazing, as well as yield per unit area and species diversity. They also show the dominance of different grass species. Together, these factors determine grazing value and are influenced by climate and land use over time and across different areas.

Rangelands are the main and most cost-effective source of livestock feed. They also provide a range of resources for people, including medicinal plants, edible plant products, and materials such as timber, poles, droppers and thatching grass. In this way, rangelands support both livelihoods and ecosystems.

However, competition for rangeland resources between humans and animals has placed increasing pressure on these areas, leading in many cases to a decline in their productive potential and overall degradation.

Degradation evident

In Namibia, rangeland degradation is evident across different landscapes and takes various forms, including deforestation, desertification, soil erosion and bush encroachment. Rising human population levels, development activities, climate change, and increasing demand for livestock products continue to intensify this pressure.

Deforestation is widespread, particularly in rural and farming areas, driven by construction, mining activities such as sand and mineral extraction, timber harvesting and land clearing for crop production. These activities result in the removal of valuable vegetation, local loss of plant species and reduced biodiversity.

Deforestation, combined with overgrazing, can also lead to desertification, where soils are left bare and exposed to extreme conditions, including high temperatures, under which few plant species can survive.

Bare soils lose stability due to the lack of vegetation protecting them from erosion and trampling. Wind and water erosion remove topsoil, seeds and organic matter. This also leads to surface crusting, increased runoff, higher evaporation rates and soil dehydration.

Increasingly costly

Livestock production in many parts of Namibia has therefore become increasingly costly due to degraded rangelands. Reduced rangeland productivity has affected farm income, as farmers are forced to spend more on rehabilitation measures and livestock feed. This places additional pressure on financial resources and threatens long-term sustainability and livelihoods.

To ensure sustainable livestock production, farmers are encouraged to adopt regenerative rangeland management practices. These include controlled grazing systems, bush encroachment management, soil erosion control, rebuilding soil organic matter, re-vegetation of rangelands and water conservation measures.

* Erastus Ngaruka is AgriBank’s Technical Advisor: Livestock & Rangeland.