About the Project

Rangeland Monitoring Project

The Rangeland Early Warning and Monitoring System project is financially supported by the European Union‘s “Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, including Energy” programme and by Agribank of Namibia. The project is implemented by AgraProvision and Agri-Ecological Services. The project’s main objective is to:

Enhance the ability of livestock farmers, support agencies and policy makers to make decisions based on timely and accurate information regarding the state and productivity of their rangelands to reduce vulnerability to droughts, or other adverse climatic conditions.

Background

Namibia is the most arid country south of the Sahara. Due to the aridity, livestock production in Namibia is almost entirely dependent on the productivity of its rangelands, which varies widely over time and space according to erratic rainfall patterns and rangeland health differences. The subsequently variability in rangeland forage production and quality, poses severe management challenges to land managers. Poor decisions may result in animal production or asset loss, missed marketing opportunities and often ends in rangeland degradation.

Rangeland early warning and monitoring information systems are designed to provide land managers and policy makers with reliable information about the health of rangelands and imminent forage shortages with sufficient lead-time to allow for timely intervention.

Overall Objective

To enhance the ability of all livestock farmers in Namibia to make rangeland management decisions based on timely and accurate information regarding the state and productivity of their rangelands, which will reduce their vulnerability to adverse climate change impacts such as more frequent and severe droughts.

Specific Objective

To develop and test a rangeland early warning and monitoring system for enhanced decision making with selected farming communities, ranchers and other stakeholders in Namibia.

Implementation

To support decision making with regards to forage availability, two components will be addressed:

Setting up a rangeland early warning system and;
Supporting farmers and support institutions to monitor their rangelands

Expected Results

Result 1: To develop and implement a remote sensing-based vegetation early warning system.

Result 2: To develop and implement local-level monitoring guidelines and benchmarks for use by farmers and communities to self-assess rangeland health.

Result 3: To set up, manage and secure a central database in which all rangeland data are compiled and linked to a Geographic Information System

Result 4: To supply decision-makers at higher levels, e.g. government extension services and policy makers, land-use planning authorities and farmer organizations such as farmer’s unions, with regular situation reports with regards to rangeland health and developing forage shortages at appropriate scales, e.g. national, regional and at constituency level.