Abstract Accounts of land degradation and desertification in Namibian communal rangelands have seldom illustrated the broader historical context and structural frameworks within which these social-ecological processes have emerged. This paper aims to address this gap, and argues that it is necessary to take into account past state interventions and policies so as to thoroughly understand the drivers of land degradation problems in these parts of the country. Taking the case of Herero pastoralism as an example, the paper shows how a pre-colonial pastoral system keeping overgrazing at bay, but was radically transformed by the colonial state, and illustrates how current land degradation problems in the former Herero 'homelands' are intrinsically linked to past colonial interventions and policies. The analysis shows, however, that despite the calamities of colonialism and its legacies, key rangeland management practices of Herero pastoralism have not entirely disappeared, thus maintaining livestock rearing in the region as a viable way of life.

中文翻译：

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与纳米比亚前赫雷罗“家园”土地退化和荒漠化相关的社会历史和结构因素

摘要 对纳米比亚公共牧场土地退化和荒漠化的描述很少说明这些社会生态过程出现的更广泛的历史背景和结构框架。本文旨在解决这一差距，并认为有必要考虑过去的国家干预和政策，以便彻底了解该国这些地区土地退化问题的驱动因素。以赫雷罗畜牧业为例，本文展示了前殖民牧区制度如何保持过度放牧，但被殖民国家彻底改变，并说明了前赫雷罗“家园”当前的土地退化问题是如何本质上的与过去的殖民干预和政策有关。然而，分析表明，