The Role of Livestock Mobility in the Livelihood Strategies of Rural Peoples in Semi-Arid West Africa

Turner, Matthew D.; McPeak, John G.; Ayantunde, Augustine A.

doi:10.1007/s10745-013-9636-2

Cited by 93 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In Ethiopia, the Sahel, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and northern Mexico range livestock production is vitally important with respect to domestic supplies of live animals or animal products including hides, skins, and fiber (de Bruijn and van Djik 1995;Desta et al 2006;Niamir-Fuller 1999;Perramond 2010, Schloeder andJacobs 2010;Turner et al 2014;Zoljargal 2013). There is more variation with respect to the economic importance of range-related exports (Williams and Spycher 2003).…”

Section: Socioeconomic Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Sahelian belt occurs at a continental scale, with far more variation in terms of climate, land use, and rangeland ecology (Table 17.1). Sahelian production systems vary from pure pastoralism to highly integrated agropastoralism where crop residues provide livestock fodder, and livestock manure enhances crop yields (Heasley and Delehanty 1996;Turner et al 2014). In the Sahel the overall challenge for pastoralists is how to exploit the highly variable occurrence of fodder over space and time most efficiently.…”

Section: Trends In Resource Use and Ecological Condition Of Rangelandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While these changes have generally not caused widespread sedentarization of pastoralists and their livestock, they have reduced mobility, altered movement patterns, reduced livestock access to grazing, water, and mineral resources, and increased conflicts (Turner et al 2014). There is growing recognition within policy circles of the importance of the livestock sector and livestock mobility, especially in the context of climate change (Bonnet and Hérault 2011).…”

Section: Coppock Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Sahel, key features of livelihood strategies in this resource-poor and highly variable region are diversification, mobility of production, and wealth stores (Agrawal 2008). As described above, livestock, as mobile stores of wealth which are not vulnerable to local deficits of rainfall (unlike crop agriculture), figure prominently in the livelihood strategies of all rural people whether their identity is tied to farming, commerce, fishing, or livestock husbandry (Turner et al 2014). Thirty years of recurrent drought have increased the diversification of economic activities within rural households.…”

Section: What Has Been Observed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Sahel, migration rates are high as people can move to cities and coastal nations of western Africa, northern Africa, and southern Europe (Tabutin and Schoumaker 2004). In the Sahel there has been a shift in livestock ownership to include agro-pastoralists as well as pastoralists (Turner et al 2014). Ethiopian pastoralists, in contrast, have far fewer options (Coppock et al 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rangeland Systems in Developing Nations: Conceptual Advances and Societal Implications

Coppock

Fernández‐Giménez

Hiernaux

et al. 2017

Springer Series on Environmental Management

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Developing-country rangelands are vast and diverse. They are home to millions who are often poor, politically marginalized, and dependent on livestock for survival. Here we summarize our experiences from six case-study sites in subSaharan Africa, central Asia, and Latin America generally covering the past 25 years. We examine issues pertaining to population, natural resource management, climate, land use, livestock marketing, social conflict, and pastoral livelihoods. The six study sites differ with respect to human and livestock population dynamics and This chapter is dedicated to the memory of an exemplary international rangeland scientist, Thomas L. Thurow (1955Thurow ( -2016. the resulting pressures on natural resources. Environmental degradation, however, has been commonly observed. Climate change is also having diverse systemic effects often related to increasing aridity. As rangelands become more economically developed pastoral livelihoods may diversify, food security can improve, and commercial livestock production expands, but wealth stratification widens. Some significant upgrades in rural infrastructure and public service delivery have occurred; telecommunications are markedly improved overall due to widespread adoption of mobile phones. Pressures from grazing, farming, mining, and other land usescombined with drought-can ignite local conflicts over resources, although the intensity and scope of conflicts markedly varies across our case-study sites. Pastoralists and their herds have become more sedentary overall due to many factors, and this can undermine traditional risk-management tactics based on mobility. Remote rangelands still offer safe havens for insurgents, warlords, and criminals especially in countries where policing remains weak; the resulting civil strife can undermine commerce and public safety. There has been tremendous growth in knowledge concerning developing-country rangelands since 1990, but this has not often translated into improved environmental stewardship or an enhanced wellbeing for rangeland dwellers. Some examples of demonstrable impact are described, and these typically have involved longer-term investments in capacity building for pastoralists, local professionals, and other stakeholders. Research is shifting from ecologically centered to more human-centered issues; traditional academic approaches are often being augmented with participatory, community-based engagement. Building human or social capital in ways that are integrated with improved natural resource stewardship offers the greatest returns on research investment. Our future research and outreach priorities include work that fortifies pastoral governance, enhances livelihoods for a diverse array of rangeland residents, and improves land and livestock management in a comprehensive social-ecological systems approach. Keywords IntroductionIn this chapter we focus on rangelands of the developing world. By rangelands we refer to landscapes-largely unsuitable for sustained cultivation-providing forage, water, ...

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Section: Socioeconomic Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trends In Resource Use and Ecological Condition Of Rangelandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Coppock Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: What Has Been Observed?mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rangeland Systems in Developing Nations: Conceptual Advances and Societal Implications

Coppock

Fernández‐Giménez

Hiernaux

et al. 2017

Springer Series on Environmental Management

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Large‐scale siting of sand dams: A participatory approach and application in Angolan drylands

et al. 2022

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Sand dams are simple and effective structures built across ephemeral riverbeds in arid/ semiarid regions to harvest water within sand pores and increase water availability and quality for rural communities. The complex morphological, hydrological, social, and economic conditions that make sand dams a beneficial tool for water resilience are largely influenced by the siting phase. Proper location of a sand dam can reduce communities' travel time to water points, reduce water conflicts, and increase food security through expansion of irrigated agriculture. On the other hand, a misplacement of sand dams can, at worst, increase disparities in water access and increase local conflicts. To approach a viable siting of sand dams, most projects are developed and delivered with the community through a bottom-up approach. However, in the case of large-scale projects, remote sensing and biophysical analysis are the dominant approach, leaving the socio-economic component at the margins of the siting strategy and eventually affecting the benefits to local communities. In this paper, we propose a large-scale participatory methodology to sand dams siting, which draws on mixed-methods connecting the conventional top-down biophysical analysis with bottom-up participatory research. We first describe the generic approach developed for sand dams siting in Namibe, a semi-arid region of Southwest of Angola, then we draw on our case to propose a generic approach to large-scale participatory siting beyond Namibe.

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Contextualising sustainable transhumant pastoralism: A systematic review

Azerigyik,

Owusu‐Ansah,

Poku‐Boansi

et al. 2024

Sustainable Development

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Transhumant pastoralism and sustainable development are two concepts that have long been treated as mutually exclusive elements in research on agriculture and livestock production. This study, therefore, aimed to establish the critical link between the two concepts by exploring the effects of transhumant pastoralism on economic, environmental and social sustainability, thereby conceptualising it within the broader sustainable development discourse. The study adopted a systematic literature review methodology to synthesise 145 studies related to the role of transhumant pastoralism in sustainable development in sub‐Saharan Africa. The paper employed thematic analysis to investigate the nature of transhumance and its implications for sustainability. The thematic analysis was based on the tripartite dimensions of sustainability—social, economic and environmental. The findings indicate that transhumance substantially impacts economic sustainability through the preservation of livelihoods, the creation of employment opportunities, and the generation of revenue. Nonetheless, it also poses challenges such as crop damage and the spread of zoonotic diseases, adversely affecting economic stability. Socially, transhumance promotes ethnoreligious cooperation and integration, enhancing social cohesion, but it also contributes to conflicts and security concerns. From the environmental perspective, transhumance has the potential to mitigate overgrazing and facilitate ecosystem regeneration. However, it is also linked to water contamination, deforestation, and the proliferation of invasive species. The study concluded that sustainable transhumant pastoralism must be conceptualised holistically, addressing the dimensions of sustainability simultaneously. It is recommended that effective stakeholder collaboration and comprehensive policy interventions be used to harness the benefits of transhumance while minimising its adverse effects.

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The Role of Livestock Mobility in the Livelihood Strategies of Rural Peoples in Semi-Arid West Africa

Cited by 93 publications

References 35 publications

Rangeland Systems in Developing Nations: Conceptual Advances and Societal Implications

Rangeland Systems in Developing Nations: Conceptual Advances and Societal Implications

Large‐scale siting of sand dams: A participatory approach and application in Angolan drylands

Contextualising sustainable transhumant pastoralism: A systematic review

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