Namibia and Southern Africa: regional case studies
What the domain tests
Regional case-study questions test your ability to apply physical, human and environmental ideas to Namibia and Southern Africa. Expect named examples such as the Namib Desert, Okavango Delta, Etosha, the Kunene and Zambezi rivers, Walvis Bay and Windhoek, plus regional links through SADC and transboundary water management.
Core rules and concepts
- Use a located example: name the place, describe its characteristics, explain the process and assess the impact.
- The Namib is a coastal desert shaped by the cold Benguela Current, fog, wind and limited rainfall. The Okavango is an inland delta: a river loses gradient and spreads across faults and sediment, forming seasonal wetlands.
- Etosha's pan and waterholes concentrate wildlife and support tourism; conservation depends on water management, fire management and surrounding land use.
- Southern Africa's rivers cross borders, so dams, irrigation and pollution create cooperation and conflict. SADC provides a framework for regional trade, transport and shared resources.
- Windhoek illustrates urban water scarcity and inequality; Walvis Bay illustrates port-led trade and coastal fog climates.
Worked example
Explain why the Okavango Delta is an inland delta rather than a coastal delta. Reasoning: the Okavango River flows into northern Botswana and loses energy as the gradient flattens. Faulting and sediment deposition split the channel into distributaries, and water spreads and evaporates instead of reaching the sea. Seasonal floods create a wetland mosaic that supports biodiversity and tourism. The key is the combination of low gradient, faulting and inland drainage, not just 'the river is slow'.
Traps that cost marks
- Describing a case study without locating it.
- Confusing the Okavango Delta with a coastal delta.
- Generalising about Southern Africa as one climate or economy.
- Listing tourism benefits without environmental or social costs.