IK in adaptive environmental management in Borana, Ethiopia

The proliferation of woody plant species has been observed on rangelands in the Horn of Africa. The paper “Indigenous ecological knowledge as the basis for adaptive environmental management: evidence from pastoralist communities in the Horn of Africa” (2016) by Chuan Liao et al looks into pastoralists’ adaptation to such environmental changes in the Borana Zone of southern Ethiopia by exploring pastoralists’ ecological knowledge, surveys of plant species composition and census data on livestock holdings. It was found that a proliferation of woody plants and corresponding decline in herbaceous species would have negative impact on forage values for cattle and sheep, whereas goats would be relatively unaffected and camels would benefit. While census data showed declines in household herd size from 2000 to 2014, pastoralists have been adapting to the proliferation of woody plants by doubling their goat holdings, and wealthier households are investing in camels. These changes in livestock holdings based on indigenous knowledge (IK) will mitigate the negative impacts of vegetation shifts on livestock production and facilitate adaptive environmental management in the pastoral systems.

MS of article published in the Journal of Environmental Management 182: 70–79 (https://greenbrownblue.com/BIODIVERSITY_01%20RESOURCES/AGROBIODIVERSITY/Indigenous%20ecological%20knowledge%20as%20the%20basis%20for%20adaptive%20environmental%20management.pdf).

Posted on 7 February 2021 in Pastoral Research & Innovation, Pastoralism & Natural Resources