In 1918, white South Africans began to raise concerns about what they perceived as the increasing aridity of the land. These ideas were promulgated by Ernest Schwarz, a South African professor of geology, who used his observations of dry lake basins and riverbeds to support his case. Schwarz’s theories claimed that Africans had squandered their land through disuse, and that allowing water to flow to the sea was wasteful. Refuted by many scientists and climatologists, Schwarz’s theories nevertheless gained currency among white farmers and politicians, many of whom supported his proposal to divert rivers to attempt to irrigate arid lands across South Africa so that white men could farm them. This plan, called the Kalahari Scheme, would theoretically result in the elimination of white poverty, which presented obstacles to the maintenance of a racial hierarchy in South Africa. Author Meredith McKittrick, professor of history at Georgetown University, presents her deeply-researched exploration of Schwarz’s misguided scheme, showing how the philosophy behind it contributed in part to the development of apartheid decades later. She also delves into some interesting parallels with current history, including climate change denialism. VERDICT This is a fascinating look at a little-known episode in South African history.
A version of this review was published by Library Journal 149:9 (2024): 97.
No comments:
Post a Comment