Planting the Water: A Scientific Guide to Rangeland Regeneration in Namibia

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Go behind the scenes of the "Food Forest Namibia" farm tour. This official research paper documents the experimental methods and results of the water-harvesting infrastructure you saw on our farm.


If you’ve watched Uwe Kahl and I drive across the swales, this document provides the technical "why" and "how" behind those landscape features. It focuses on reversing decades of rangeland degradation by using "stepped diffusion" to slow, spread, and sink rainwater back into the Namibian soil.


What you will learn from this download:


  • The Design of Contour Ditches: Detailed looks at how we used earthmoving machinery to create 0.5 m deep ditches and bunds to hold storm events and maximize infiltration.



  • Tree Survival Data: Transparent results on the survival rates of trees like Moringa oleifera, Faidherbia albida, and Acacia erioloba planted below the ditches.



  • Ponding Banks & Bush Filters: How we used simple bush-clearing debris and "ponding banks" to reinvigorate natural perennial grasses and creeping legumes.



  • Urban vs. Rural Application: Insights from experiments at Farm Middelplaats (Otjiwarongo) as well as urban fruitful landscapes in Windhoek.



  • The "Planting Water" Philosophy: Why it is critical to "plant the water" for several years before planting the trees to ensure long-term ecosystem success.



This is more than just a PDF—it is a roadmap for localizing food security and restoring the health of our semi-arid rangelands.

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