Zambezi River Basin

Namibia

ZAMBIA

ANGOLA

Ongwediva

Cuangar

Katima Mulilo

Opuwo

C u b a n g o

Mucusso

Rundu

Z A M B E Z I R I V E R B A S I N L I M I T

Tsumeb

Grootfontein

Otavi

Outjo

Otjiwarongo

Omaruru

Karibib

Okahandja

Usakos

Swakopmund

BOTSWANA

WINDHOEK

Gobabis

Walvis Bay

Rehoboth

NAMIBIA

Mariental

A u o b

Elevation Metres above sea-level

Maltahohe

0 200 500 1 000 3 000 2 000 1 500

Bethanie

Keetmanshoop

Luderitz

SOUTH AFRICA

Karasburg

Alexander Bay

O r a n g e

Total Area of Country Portion of Country within Zambezi Basin National Population in 2010 Portion of National Populationwithin Zambezi Basin

824 290 sq km 17 100 (2.1%) 2.1 million 70 350 (3.35%)

Important Environmental Issues

• Land degradation and desertification • Aridity and water scarcity • Biodiversity loss

Namibia is situated at the southern edge of the tropics and is the most arid country in southern Africa receiving an average of only 258 mm of rain per year. Humidity is very low and the average rainfall varies from almost zero in the coastal desert to more than 600 mm per year in the Caprivi Strip. Rainfall is highly variable and droughts are common. With only 2.5 people per square kilometre it is among the least populated countries in the world (FAO 2007, UNEP 2008). Progress towards environmental sustainability Reverse the loss of environmental resources The country’s abundant natural resources, particularly fisheries and mining, are the backbone of the national economy. The majority of the population is dependent on the land, especially for extensive cattle, goat and sheep farming. About 3 000 sq km – less than one per cent of all land – is cultivated each year, mainly for maize, sorghum and millet. However, the arid and semi-arid nature of

the country coupled with recurrent droughts and flooding, especially in the northern rural areas, makes it difficult for the large part of the population which is dependent on subsistence agriculture. Water availability is the single greatest factor limiting development in Namibia. Extreme temporal variability and uneven spatial distribution of water resources constrain livelihoods, particularly for the 64 per cent of the population who live in rural areas (Government of Namibia 2008). Perennial surface water resources are limited, located primarily along the northern and southern borders, but all of these sources suffer from significant population pressure and degradation. Overgrazing is the largest threat to the environment since cattle, which outnumber people in Namibia, have surpassed the carrying capacity of the land. Current evidence of desertification includes declining ground

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