Abstract.
The Spitzkoppe Community Campsite in western Namibia lies in an area with very limited water resources. Water scarcity places a constraint on community income generation and development opportunities. The existing water resources are overexploited and to ensure future water security, the community must take sustainable water management into consideration in their daily lives and business ventures, including tourism. This has been successfully achieved at the Spitzkoppe Community Campsite through a combination of high community motivation, organisation and action, the involvement of researchers and trainers in water resource management and support from developers. The most appropriate water management solutions were found through ongoing practical testing of different strategies and technologies over two years. This paper presents a case study of a community-based tourist camp at Spitzkoppe and traces the community’s progress towards developing an alternative way to combat desertification and a potentially lucrative tourist business.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Afrikaner, O.: 2001, Spitzkoppe Community Camp, community elder. Conversation with the co-author, April 2001.
National Planning Commission: 2002, 2001 Population and Housing Census, Republic of Namibia.
Schachtschneider, K.: 2002, ‘Towards a Water Demand Management Strategy for the Namibian Tourism Sector.’ M.Sc. Dissertation.University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Stehle, V.: 2002, Chief Control Engineer, Department of Water Affairs. Conversation with the co-author, 4 June 2001.
Tjongarero, A.: 2001, Spitzkoppe Community Camp Manager. Conversation with the author, April 2001.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bethune, S., Schachtschneider, K. How Community Action, Science and Common Sense can Work Together to Develop an Alternative Way to Combat Desertification. Environ Monit Assess 99, 161–168 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-004-4016-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-004-4016-4