Desertification Research at the NBI

NBI's Desertification Programme is one of the Conservation programmes based in the Kirstenbosch Research Centre. It is centred on two separate projects.

The first project is called the National Review of Land Degradation in South Africa and provides a national assessment of the status of land degradation in South Africa.

The second project is called Natural Resource Management and Rural Livelihoods in Paulshoek, Namaqualand and is focussed on one rural village situated in the succulent karoo biome.

Only two permanent NBI staff members (Timm Hoffman and Ashia Petersen) are attached to the Desertification programme. The bulk of the work over the last three years has been accomplished by several contract researchers, specialist technicians and students from the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape. People who have been most closely associated with the projects are: Adele Arendse, Saadia Lambey, Zolile Ntshona, Stephen Turner, Anastelle Solomon, Hayley Rodkin, Peter Carrick, Janet Allsopp, and Simon Todd.