Water & rangeland in Karamoja: indigenous & introduced management systems

The agropastoralists in Karamoja, Uganda, have experienced various water and rangeland development projects over the years. The review “Water and rangeland in Karamoja: trends, preferences, and status of indigenous and introduced resources and systems”(2023, 63pp), by Anthony Eguru et al. from the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) and the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, took stock of experiences with these projects and the extent to which introduced facilities or systems took account of indigenous knowledge and preferences and of the local institutions. The review, covering 20 villages in Amudat, Kotido, Moroto and Napak Districts, was based on focus-group discussions, key informant interviews and participatory scoring methods, and was supported by analysis of long-term rainfall and vegetation data. It documents the traditional and introduced forms of water and grazing resource management in Karamoja; assesses the functionality of the traditional and introduced institutions, structures and practices for resource management; and assesses the extent to which the indigenous and introduced management systems have been integrated into everyday practice. It then offers recommendations on how sustainable grazing and water resource management can be achieved, drawing evidence from within the region as well as more broadly in East Africa.

Posted on 22 October 2023 in Pastoralism & Natural Resources