Land Degradation in Southern Africa: Restoration Strategies, Grazing Management, and Livelihoods

Mhlangabezi Slayi (), Leocadia Zhou and Kgabo Humphrey Thamaga
Additional contact information
Mhlangabezi Slayi: Centre for Global Change (CGC), Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Dikeni 5700, South Africa
Leocadia Zhou: Centre for Global Change (CGC), Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Dikeni 5700, South Africa
Kgabo Humphrey Thamaga: Department of GIS and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Dikeni 5700, South Africa

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-27

Abstract: Land degradation in communal rangelands poses significant challenges to environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods in southern Africa. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research trends, key contributors, thematic evolution, and collaborative networks in the field of land degradation in communal rangelands from 1997 to 2024. Utilizing data obtained from the Scopus database, we examined 66 publications to identify patterns in publication output, leading journals, influential articles, and prominent authors and institutions. The analysis demonstrates an overall increase in research output, with a notable surge in publications during the past decade, indicating a growing academic and policy interest in this field. Major themes identified include sustainable land management, restoration strategies, and the impacts of grazing management on ecosystem health. Networks showcasing co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence reveal robust collaborative connections among researchers and a concentrated focus on specific dominant themes. Consequently, these findings propose opportunities for expanding interdisciplinary research and exploring underrepresented areas. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape, offering insights to steer future studies and inform policy interventions aimed at mitigating land degradation and bolstering the resilience of communal rangelands in southern Africa.

Keywords: land degradation; southern Africa; restoration strategies; grazing management; livelihoods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/10/1849/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/10/1849/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:10:p:1849-:d:1502534

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().