Land reform and the new elite: Exclusion of the poor from communal land in Namaqualand, South Africa

Lebert, Tom; Rohde, Rick

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.03.023

Cited by 32 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Riparian vegetation benefits from these changes and explains the general trend of an increase in cover of riparian trees within the channel and floodplain areas of the repeat photos over time. 39 Lebert andRohde, 2007. 40 Hoffman andRohde, 2007.…”

Section: Land Use History As An Explanation For Observed Changes In Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Rivers Through Time: Historical Changes in the Riparian Vegetation of the Semi-Arid, Winter Rainfall Region of South Africa in Response to Climate and Land Use

Hoffman

Rohde

2010

J Hist Biol

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This paper examines how the riparian vegetation of perennial and ephemeral rivers systems in the semi-arid, winter rainfall region of South Africa has changed over time. Using an environmental history approach we assess the extent of change in plant cover at 32 sites using repeat photographs that cover a time span of 36-113 years. The results indicate that in the majority of sites there has been a significant increase in cover of riparian vegetation in both the channel beds and adjacent floodplain environments. The most important species to have increased in cover across the region is Acacia karroo. We interpret the findings in the context of historical changes in climate and land use practices. Damage to riparian vegetation caused by mega-herbivores probably ceased sometime during the early 19th century as did scouring events related to large floods that occurred at regular intervals from the 15th to early 20th centuries. Extensive cutting of riparian vegetation for charcoal and firewood has also declined over the last 150 years. Changes in the grazing history as well as increased abstraction and dam building along perennial rivers in the region also account for some of the changes observed in riparian vegetation during the second half of the 20th century. Predictions of climate change related to global warming anticipate increased drought events with the subsequent loss of species and habitats in the study area. The evidence presented here suggests that an awareness of the region's historical ecology should be considered more carefully in the modelling and formulation of future climate change predictions as well as in the understanding of climate change impacts over time frames of decades and centuries.

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Section: Land Use History As An Explanation For Observed Changes In Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Rivers Through Time: Historical Changes in the Riparian Vegetation of the Semi-Arid, Winter Rainfall Region of South Africa in Response to Climate and Land Use

Hoffman

Rohde

2010

J Hist Biol

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“…They are signs of proper rangeland management. The rangeland succession model has informed rangeland policies in South Africa and Namibia for decades, and still does (Benjaminsen et al 2006;Lebert and Rohde 2007;Sullivan 1996). The ecological model predicts that vegetation in dryland areas continuously strives towards a natural equilibrium.…”

Section: What Is a Fence? Change And Difference In Southern African Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, this model continues to inform land policies in Southern Africa (Archer 2002;Benjaminsen et al 2006;Rohde et al 2006;Scoones 1989). Land reform processes in South Africa during the last decade have subscribed to the degradation narrative, and subsequently turned away from a pro-poor strategy towards encouraging privatized tenure and support for emergent farmers in communal areas (Benjaminsen et al 2006;Lebert and Rohde 2007;Rohde et al 2006).…”

Section: Journal Of Political Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

An ecology of difference: fence-line contrast photographs as scientific models in ecology

Hongslo¹

2015

Journal of Political Ecology

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Political ecologists have long acknowledged the links between knowledge and power. Recently there has also been a growing interest in detailed studies about knowledge production within critical political ecology. This article is a study of the use of photographs in scientific articles on dryland ecology, and investigates the functions of photographs. Contrary to the straightforward manner in which they are presented, photographs are not value-free documentary proofs of 'how things are.' Rather, photographs constitute arguments in their own right. Using photographic and textual theory, this study analyzes two articles that include photographs of fence-line contrasts between two different management regimes. Contrasting areas divided by a fence-line is a methodology that demonstrates how management differences lead to differences in vegetation. In a Southern African context, however, differences across a fence tend to encompass deep racial and economic divides, and the fence-line photos risk encompassing these differences. This article argues that the fence-line contrast photographs in this study function as models that order the causal links between vegetation dynamics, land tenure and land management. These models correspond closely to equilibrium models in range ecology, and the fence-line photographs thus contribute to a degradation narrative that has been influential for land reform policies in Southern Africa, and that feeds into land use policies that favor private land ownership in communal areas. Keywords: Critical political ecology, fence-line photography, scientific models, rangeland ecology, Southern Africa RésumeLes écologistes politiques ont depuis longtemps reconnu les liens entre le savoir et le pouvoir. Récemment, il a également eu un intérêt dans les études détaillées sur la production de connaissances au sein de l'écologie politique critique. Cet article est une étude de l'utilisation des photographies dans des articles scientifiques sur l'écologie des zones arides. Il étudie également les fonctions de photographies. Ils ne sont pas simples ou sans valeur. Au contraire, les photographies sont des arguments dans leur propre droit. En utilisant la théorie photographique et textuelle, cette étude analyse deux articles qui comprennent des photographies de contrastes long des clôtures, entre deux régimes de gestion différents. Contrastant zones divisées par un 'fenceline' est une méthodologie qui démontre comment les différences de gestion conduisent à différents types de végétation. Dans un contexte de l'Afrique australe, les divisions raciales et économiques profonds peuvent également être exposés. Cet article soutient que les photographies de 'fencelines' dans cette étude sont des modèles qui commandent les liens de causalité entre la dynamique de la végétation, le régime foncier et la gestion des terres. Ces modèles correspondent étroitement aux «modèles d'équilibre» dans l'écologie des pâturages. Les photographies 'fenceline' contribuent ainsi à un récit de dégradation qui a eu une influ...

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“…For rural community dwellers, communal lands and their resources are the mainstay of most economic activities and rural livelihoods, including farming, hunting and the day to day gathering of natural resources such as veld products [1,2]. However, concerns over the demise of traditional pastoral resource use systems due to rangeland degradation, impacts of climate change, impacts of land tenure policies, expansion in commercial agricultural activities and conservation areas continue to occupy the central agenda in pastoralism literature [3][4][5]. Many pastoral communities are faced with challenges of shifts in land tenure as their communal rights are considered by development practitioners as a constraint that hinders development with a need to be modernised [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pastoralism and Land Tenure Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conflicting Policies and Priorities in Ngamiland, Botswana

Basupi¹,

Quinn²,

Dougill³

2017

Land

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Abstract:In dryland Africa, access to land and water resources are central to pastoral livelihood activities. Policy intervention in these regions represents the outcome of concerted post-independence processes in which countries have committed to land tenure transformation as a policy objective. This was meant to create private, liberal property rights to replace communal customary tenure systems which were considered to be a constraint to development. Despite these efforts, decades of scientific research indicate that countries are still struggling to meet environmental sustainability objectives. Land degradation where it existed has not been halted and traditional pastoral livelihoods have been disrupted. The overall evidence base for policymaking remains weak as deficiencies in data or information on which management decisions were based led to poor policy performance. In a bid to strengthen understanding in this area, this study has a dual aim: 1. Using a systematic review of the literature, we examine the impact of land tenure transformation in pastoral areas in sub-Saharan Africa; 2. We analyse user-perspectives on land tenure transformation and pastoralists' rights in Ngamiland, Botswana, so as to draw out the salient issues that must be addressed in order to reconcile pastoral tenure conflicts and land management in sub-Saharan Africa.Results from meta-analysis and case study show that land tenure transformation policies across pastoral areas are subject to similar challenges and consequences. Protecting pastoral land rights requires deliberate policy interventions that recognise pastoralism as a productive and efficient use of resources. Policymakers need to overcome anti-pastoral prejudice and focus on Sustainable Land Management goals. This entails establishing negotiated and flexible tenure frameworks that strengthen pastoralists' participation in decision-making arenas by working with pastoral communities on the basis of understanding their livelihood system.

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Land reform and the new elite: Exclusion of the poor from communal land in Namaqualand, South Africa

Cited by 32 publications

References 14 publications

Rivers Through Time: Historical Changes in the Riparian Vegetation of the Semi-Arid, Winter Rainfall Region of South Africa in Response to Climate and Land Use

Rivers Through Time: Historical Changes in the Riparian Vegetation of the Semi-Arid, Winter Rainfall Region of South Africa in Response to Climate and Land Use

An ecology of difference: fence-line contrast photographs as scientific models in ecology

Pastoralism and Land Tenure Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conflicting Policies and Priorities in Ngamiland, Botswana

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