Pastoralism & Natural Resources (page 52)
Power, equity and gender in pastoralist NRM
Power relations in pastoral societies are in constant flux. Recent changes in power relations in making decisions in natural resource management (NRM) are highlighted in a policy brief from WISP (World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism) on Power, equity, gender and decision-making in NRM (4pp, 2007). It focuses on pastoralist societies in East Africa – e.g. Barabaig, […]
Land grabbing in Africa: what is it all about?
Land is central to the livelihoods, culture and identity for millions of people across the developing world. But there is growing concern that people’s connection to their land is being undermined. Over the past few years, large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa have made headlines in media reports across the world. Lands that only a […]
Pastoralists’ access to and management of natural resources
We, the “Coalition of European Lobbies on Eastern African Pastoralism”, believe that access to natural resources such as land, water, pastures and forests is of key importance to pastoralism. Pastoralists need to have control over and access to land and water in order to maintain their livelihoods and maximise their productivity. National and regional laws […]
Evolving customary institutions in Kenya’s drylands
Improved governance of natural resources is crucial for building climate-resilient livelihoods and economies in Africa’s drylands. The paper “Evolving customary institutions in the drylands: an opportunity for devolved natural resource management in Kenya?” (2014, 34pp) examines why the authority and capacity of customary NRM institutions have been weakened, and how this impacts on resource governance […]
A critique of Ethiopia’s pastoralist policies
Ethiopia’s current economic plans call for extensive development along rivers in lowland areas typically occupied by pastoralists and agropastoralists. These plans include development of large dams for hydroelectric power and irrigating large agricultural estates producing sugar, cotton and rice in state-run and privately owned businesses. Nearly all these projects entail the resettlement of people away […]