Namibia country report

3 REGIONAL CONTEXTS3.1 HardapSpanning an area of 109 659 km 2 , Hardap Region covers approximately 13% of Namibia’stotal land surface. Approximately 75% of the land in Hardap is owned under freehold title,predominantly by white farm owners. Communal areas occupy about 10% of the region,while the remaining 15%, in the west of the region, has been proclaimed as a national park(NPC 2006b: 17). No recent data exists on average farm sizes, but in 1991 the Ministry ofAgriculture, Water and Rural Development estimated the average sizes in Maltahöhe andMariental Districts to be 14 042 ha and 8 835 ha respectively (RoN 1991: 131).Due to low annual rainfall combined with high inter-seasonal variations in precipitation,Hardap is an arid region. According to the Atlas of Namibia, the median annual rainfall inmost of Maltahöhe District ranges from 100 mm to 150 mm, while Mariental District isslightly more fortunate with a median of 150 mm to 200 mm per annum (Mendelsohn et al.2002: 85). Rainfall variability ranges between 40% and 80% across these two districts (ibid.:86). Drought occurs frequently in this region. Much of Maltahöhe District receives less than50 mm every 14 years and Mariental District less than 100 mm (ibid.: 90).Population density in the region is very low at 0.6 people per km 2 . Almost three quarters ofthe population are classified as “rural”, living as wage labourers on commercial farms or oncommunal land (Central Bureau of Statistics 2003: 7). Only 9% of all households identifiedBernafey group resettlement scheme after a period of higher rainfall.Livelihoods after Land Reform: Namibia country report (2010) ● 51