This report was prepared by a research team of the German Development Institute (GDI) on invitation of the Steering Committee of Namibia's National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (NAPCOD) to analyse the programme's current state of implementation. The research team had the opportunity to carry out field work in Namibia from mid-February until the end of April 2001. Processes of desertification and land degradation constitute major barriers for socio-economic development in many semi-arid and arid countries, particularly in Africa. NAPCOD, which was started in 1994 and is implemented with the support of the GTZ, offered the opportunity for a case study after five years of implementation experience. Focus and scope of this study were drawn up in close collaboration with the GTZ and the Directorate of Environmental Affairs (DEA) of Namibia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism.