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97
water levels, soil erosion, reduced soil fertility,
increased salt content in soils, and loss of woody
vegetation. The increase in cattle stocks is
shown in Figure 4.30.
Deforestation, soil erosion and desertification
also threaten Namibia’s lands and forests with
an estimated 90 per cent of land at high risk
(FAO 2003). If the rate of clearing continues as
it has been over the past 53 years in the Caprivi
Strip in particular, all land in this region will
have been cleared for crops by the year 2082,
while all areas with soils rated as having the best
potential for cultivation will have been cleared
by 2033 (FAO 2009).
While Namibia is not heavily forested, Figure
4.31 shows a 17 per cent drop in the proportion
of land area covered by forests since 1990. Just
8.8 per cent of the country was covered by
forests in 2010.
Carbon dioxide emissions have increased slightly
since 1999 due to urban growth and increased
use of fossil fuels, but the increase shown in Figure
4.32 is largely due to improvedmonitoring.
Reverse biodiversity loss by 2010
Despite the arid climate, Namibia is home to
abundant biodiversity, including unique desert-
adapted ecological communities, mega fauna,
and productive coastal fisheries. Namibia has
one of the largest remaining populations of the
highly endangered black rhinoceros, with about
three-quarters of the national rhino population
found in Etosha National Park. The Government
of Namibia has maintained the size of protected
areas since independence in 1990 at 112 160
sq km, a respectable 14 per cent of the national
surface area, shown in Figure 4.33.
Threats to biodiversity include over-grazing,
agriculture and mining (WWF 2006). Figure 4.34
shows that there are 58 threatened species in
Namibia, an increase of 60 per cent in less than
a decade, although some increase in the figure
is due to new areas of study that have not been
previously researched.
Figure 4.30
Figure 4.32
Figure 4.33
Figure 4.31
Source: SADC and SARDC 2008
Protected areas share of total land area
in Namibia
0
14%
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
Million
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Cattle stocks in Namibia
Source: FAO 2010
Change in proportion of land area
covered by forests in Namibia
15
10
5
0
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Percentage
Source: FAO 2009, 2010
Carbon dioxide emissions
in Namibia
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Metric Tonnes
Source: AfDB 2010
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008