Sustainable development, global ecology and the space for local knowledge: Wildlife conservation in Namibi

This thesis will examine the philosophical origins of global sustainable development and their influence on the present course of environmentalism. It is argued that sustainable development has created a global ecology which limits the space for the utilization of local knowledge and participation. It is further suggested that the larger the territorial view of environmental actors, the more constricted discursive and socio-political space becomes for recognizing, defining and solving environmental problems.;The thesis utilizes a case study of a community-based natural resource management program in Namibia and its potential impact on the OvaHimba of Kaokoland within the context of a conceptual framework which challenges the underpinnings and validity of prevalent notions and practices of sustainable development.