How Natural Are ‘Natural Disasters’? Vulnerability to Drought of Communal Farmers in Southern Namibia

This paper aims to show how so-called natural disasters are in many instances the result of a more complex range of factors than just natural causes. To achieve this aim, the susceptibility to drought of people living in the communal areas of southern Namibia is used as a case study. Drawing on the concept of vulnerability, the case study examines the socio-economic and political factors that influence people's vulnerability to drought. Using information gathered through literature and field trips, the paper identifies those socio-economic pressures that exacerbate the impact of successive droughts. As a result, it is argued that in order to reduce communal farmers' vulnerability to drought, socio-economic interventions rather than classic ‘hazard mitigation’ measures are required.