Why is Bush encroachment such a major problem in Namibia?

The exclusion of occasional hot veld fires, the replacement of most of the indigenous browsers and grazers by livestock, injudicious stocking rates, poor rangeland management practices, and artificial water points are regarded as the major causes of bush encroachment.

How is Bush encroachment controlled?

The most popular methods of controlling bush encroachment mechanically, are chopping, slashing, ring barking and felling. The stumps are then treated immediately with a chemical weed killer. Herbicides can be used effectively to control a range of problem plants.

What happens when shrubs encroach into grasslands?

Shrub encroachment on grasslands can increase groundwater recharge: Vegetation changes can outweigh climate change in rangeland water budgets — ScienceDaily.

How big is the bush encroachment problem in Namibia?

The challenge of bush encroachment has accelerated in recent decades. In 2004 De Klerk es- timated that more than 30 million hectares of Namibia’s prime land is affected. In a Strategic Environmental Assessment conducted in 2016, this figure was estimated to have increased to 45 million hectares.

What to do with encroacher bush in Namibia?

The current economic utilisation of encroacher bush in Namibia focuses mainly on firewood for local communities and charcoal for exports. Buyers of wood chips for energy production are emerging.

What happened to FW de Klerk’s ex-wife?

The ex-wife of former South African president F.W. de Klerk was stabbed from behind and strangled to death. Her death shocked the nation and the world. Luyanda Mboniswa, a security guard at the complex accused of her murder, pleaded not guilty to all charges levelled against him.

What is Bush erosion in Namibia?

Bush encroachment is an enormous and complex challenge for Namibian farmers. The phenomenon affects more than 30 million hectares of prime savannas and is mostly concentrated in the central and eastern regions where intensive cattle farming is prevalent. Densities vary be- tween 2,500 and 10,000 bushes per hectare.