Briefing Paper

Understanding Land Acquisitions in Namibia’s Communal Land: Impacts and Policy Implications

The Namibian government received proposals from multinational agribusinesses
to develop large-scale agricultural irrigation projects. While only a few of these proposed large-scale projects
have materialised, the magnitude of their impacts on rural communities are significant and require urgent measures.
This policy brief investigates these acquisitions in Namibia’s communal land. The purpose is to determine the impacts of
such deals on communities, whether legal requirements were met before acquiring land for such deals, and whether community
members can protect their land rights or oppose such deals.