In Namibia, the most arid African country south of the Sahara, 70% of the population is dependent on subsistence farming. With a small but rapidly growing population (3.1% p.a.), pressure on the country's natural resources is increasing. Desertification, defined as a loss of productivity and land degradation, is a real threat to sustainable development in Namibia. It is caused by difficult climatic conditions paired with human induced impacts and changes in the environment. In June 1994, Namibia signed the international Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD). Namibia's Programme to Combat Desertification (Napcod), a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Agriculture, Water & Rural Development (MAWRD) and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) was launched in the same year. The programme addresses the political and socio-economic as well as biophysical aspects related to land degradation.