Sand and Water: a profile of the Kavango Region

John Mendelsohn and Selma el Obeid
Struik Publishers (A division of New Holland Publishing (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd)

Sand and Water: a profile of the Kavango Region contains a wealth of information about this remote region, one of 13 that comprise modern Namibia. It is one of the few places in the world where a large permanent river intersects a dry landscape: where the Okavango River navigates its course from a catchment in Angola to its delta in Botswana. The book investigates contrasts in the region, the consequences of a relatively easy life alongside the river, and also opportunities and constraints: from small-scale subsistence farming, ranch ownership, tourism and the emerging phenomenon of urbanisation. The chapters cover geology, historical background, climate, the Okavango River, natural resources, the people, welfare, land ownership and distribution and prospects for the future. Statistical date and geographical information in the form of diagrams, figures, charts and maps support the text, as do many colourful photographs of the region. The book has been designed for a wide audience – teachers and their pupils, political leaders and civil servants, planners, decision-makers, business people and the general public.