In 1992/93 Namibia suffered its worst drought in living memory. This paper presents a case study of coping with drought in the communal areas and freehold (commercial) farms of Namibia, based largely on the experiences, information gained and lessons learned from that drought. Some emphasis is put on considering the effects of drought on the rangelands, and the options available to livestock keepers to contend with drought, but the majority of the rural population of Namibia are agro-pastoralists, hence the implications for crop production are also covered. The paper tracks the rather ad hoc pre-1992 drought relief practice to the impact of, and responses to, the 1992/93 drought, to the formulation of a National Drought Policy and Strategy in 1997. Finally, some policy issues and options are considered.