Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Production Strategies Of Livestock Herders In The Grasslands Of Kazakhstan: Implications For The Marketing Of Fine Fibres, Kathleen A. Galvin, C. Kerven, R. B. Boone, A. Smailov

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Goat populations have been rising in Kazakhstan over the past ten years since independence and goats are preferred by farmers trying to restock. Quality of cashmere production is the key to profitable and sustainable sales to world markets for this luxury good. However, Kazakhstan did not develop a cashmere industry in the Soviet period so today goats are sheared rather than combed and little profit is made from cashmere. Goats, as well as sheep and camels are currently multi-purpose animals providing income from sales of animals, cashmere, milk and meat. This will change as the terms of trade change for …

Of Grasslands And Guns: Natural-Resource Based Conflict Among The Waso Borana Pastoralists Of Northern Kenya, A. D. Jillo, Abdillahi A. Aboud, D. L. Coppock

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The once productive, arid rangelands of northern Kenya, traditionally dominated by a mix of woody species (Acacia, Commiphora, Cordia spp.) and graminoids (Tetrapogon, Aristida, Chrysopogon and Sporobolus spp.) have gradually deteriorated in ecological condition over recent decades (Herlocker, 1999). A major factor considered to be responsible for this trend is the disintegration of traditional systems of land stewardship. Traditional authority has waned in northern Kenya and has often been replaced by open-access tenure, overseen by ineffectual government administrators. Couple this with frequent droughts that typify this zone, as well as expanding populations of people and livestock, and the …

The Spanish Society For The Study Of Pastures: 45 Years Promoting Better Pasture Knowledge And Management, A. San Miguel

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Spanish Society for the Study of Pastures (SEEP) (http://www.seepastos.es) was founded in 1960 through the initiative of Prof. G. González with the intention of combining efforts and initiatives on pasture studies from many points of view. The Society has the objective of promoting the knowledge and improvement of Spanish pastures, regarding every issue related with pastoral science: typology; ecology and functions of pastoral ecosystems; plant production; feeding value; animal production; economics; sociology and agricultural policy, etc. The term 'Pasture' is considered in a broad sense to include every plant part, individual or community capable of being used for livestock …

Targeted Seasonal Climate Forecasts Offer More To Pastoralists, David H. Cobon, J. N. Park, K. L. Bell, I. W. Watson, W. Fletcher, M. Young

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The existing forecast systems such as the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) phase system (Stone et al., 1996) and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) phase system (Drosdowsky 2002) produce rolling three monthly forecasts with lead-times of either zero (SOI phase) or 1 month (SST phase). Both forecasts are reissued monthly. This approach leaves little time for pastoralists to consider the forecast and then make changes to management decisions. In addition the forecast period can often be of little interest because of the seasonal pattern of rainfall.

Andean Pastures In The Fourth Region Of Chile: Marginal Lands And Vital Spaces For A Transhumance System, T. S. Koné, R. Osorio, J. -M. Fotsing

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the fourth region of Chile, the high Andean pastures between Chile and Argentina are the summer destination for transhumant shepherds and sustain a part of the regional livestock. Since 2000, Chile has prohibited the passage of livestock to Argentina for animal health reasons in spite of official registers indicating that 60 to 75% of the summer transhumance livestock had an Argentine destination. Under those conditions it is questionable whether the Andean Chilean grasslands can absorb the increased pastoral demand without suffering damage. The objective is to provide elements of an answer to this question regarding the distribution and availability …

Range-Based Livestock Production In Turkmenistan, R. H. Behnke, G. Davidson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Turkmenistan retains a centralized system of livestock production in which many critical assets are owned by the state. Though technically in the temperate zone, the country's climate is harsh and unstable. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed, leaving many potential grazing areas seasonally inaccessible due to lack of drinking water for livestock. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of rangelands, livestock production, flock economics and land tenure at two study sites, one in central and the other in eastern Turkmenistan. The results of this study suggest that pastoral communities in Turkmenistan have coped remarkably well with the institutional …

Feasibility Of Organic Certification Of Sheep And Goats Produced In Pastoral Systems In Northern Kenya, F. Von Steimker, H. T. Wario, B. Kaufmann

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In pastoral systems of Kenya, sale of small ruminants is the main regular income source for most households. Although the meat of small ruminants produced in Marsabit county is preferred in the domestic market, no mechanisms are in place that allow for a respective price differentiation. Establishing value chains for labelled sheep and goat meat would be an option to allow pastoralists to profit from their high process and product quality. The aim of the current study is to assess the requirements and feasibility to establish a value chain for labelled products (e.g. origin labelled, organic certified) together with the …

Pastoralist Conservation: Local Ecological Knowledge And Collective Action For Grassland Conservation In Sierra De Segura (Spain), P. Sanosa-Cols, F. Ravera, F. Dominguez, M. Ventura

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Even if Pastoralism is not practised anymore by a majority of families in the Sierra de Segura (south-eastern Andalusia, Spain), it is still considered a paradigmatic way of life and management of its highlands and a key cultural heritage deeply rooted in local identity. In this article we explore two pastoral communities of this region, Santiago and Pontones, with their body of situated knowledge of the territory and natural resources, which helps pastoralists to organize their livelihoods, while requiring collective organization to manage access to grasslands. Through an ethnographic research based on participant observation and in-depth interviews, we explore the …

Intensification Of Pastoralism As A Driver Of Degradation In The Algerian Steppe, S. Bencherif, P. Manzano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Land degradation linked to pastoralism use has been a worldwide concern for decades. A biological approach has often been use to understand such phenomena, usually disregarding economic and social factors. Radical transformations of pastoralism at the Algerian steppe constitute a good case study to provide an integrated understanding and to better orient development in other pastoralist areas across the world. Different actions by the public sector since the 1960s, as well as the land legislation adopted and the strong agricultural subventions during 2000-2010, have favored a massive conversion of land and resource management. This translates into conversion of many pastures …

Could Cheese Be The Missing, Hard, Stable Currency To Fortify Self-Sufficiency Of Pastoralist Communities?, D. Schoder, J. Y. Laffa

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Traditional pastoral existence in Africa has always necessitated close, sustainable interaction with a harsh natural environment. Pastoralists, such as the indigenous Parakuyo Maasai of Tanzania traditionally depend on fresh cow’s milk as a staple. They are among the few African ethnic groups that still live as small, socially intact associations close to nature. Unfortunately, fresh milk is difficult to store and inevitably, times of plenty fluctuate with the times of hunger that threaten cultural retreat. Milk storage is particularly challenging in an arid climate without refrigeration and at such times, survival takes precedence over prosperity. We describe an ongoing pilot …

High Altitude Rangelands And Pastoralism In Bhutan: Using Sustainable Development Goals To Address Land Degradation And Poverty, J. E. Millar, K. Tenzing

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Semi-nomadic pastoralists in Bhutan live in high altitude rangelands where they seasonally migrate with yak and cattle herds from 3,000m to 5,000m. Population increase, overgrazing and climate change in eastern Bhutan have led to severe land degradation, winter fodder shortage and reduced milk production per head for herding families. This paper describes how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were used to design a rangeland rehabilitation and livelihoods improvement program with herders in Merak district from 2016 to 2019. The aim was to restore degraded rangelands, improve pastures, develop savings schemes, resolve conflicts and increase conservation knowledge. The approach involved gender sensitive …

Linking Ground, Space And Knowledge: The Role Of Weather Forecasting In Pastoralists' Decision-Making, E. L. Mulder, V. C. Wright, S. C. Steele-Dunne, P. H. A. J. M. Van Gelder, H. C. Winsemius

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Changing weather patterns and decreasing land availability continue to challenge the livelihood of the pastoralists in northern Tanzania. The increasing variability of expected rains has complicated livestock management, often jeopardizing household resilience. Drought Early Warning Systems are being set up to contribute to decision-making processes at national and international levels. Nevertheless, due to the large spatial- and temporal resolution of these systems and their high uncertainties, these systems have limited value at a pastoral household level.

Therefore, this paper explores what type of weather and climate information is deemed valuable for pastoral households in Longido District, Tanzania. It is based …

Considering Natural Baselines When Calculating Livestock Impacts Point To A Negligible Role Of Grass-Fed Livestock Systems In Climate Change, P. Manzano, S. R. White

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The use of baselines is common in a variety of academic disciplines, including environmental science, but they are subjected to relativity depending on the geographical or historical reference considered. Such considerations are illustrated by how invasive species are evaluated or what reference baselines are considered in biodiversity assessments.

The measurement of livestock effects on climate change has, however, disregarded the use of baselines. Current methodology is based exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions by individual animals, without putting them in their ecological context. As a consequence, current analyses of livestock impacts put grass-fed ruminant systems in the spotlight, because of their …

Pastoralism, Social, Gender, And Policy Issues, Nahid Naghizadeh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Nearly half of the Earth's land surface is classified as rangelands. Rangeland's health and productivity are directly critical to the livelihoods, cultures, and resilience of more than 500 million people worldwide, many of whom are indigenous peoples who depend on rangelands. Pastoralism is very diverse; it can be found in all continents, from the drylands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the highlands of Asia and Latin America, or the tundra in the circumpolar zones, and in particular where crop cultivation is physically limited. Pastoralism supports several hundred million households worldwide and manages one billion animals, including camels, cattle, …

Participatory Management Of Rangeland Hydrology – A New Socio-Ecological Technology To Effectively Adapt To And Mitigate Climate Change: Case From Morocco, Lhoussaine Bouchaou, El Hassane El Mahdad, El Hassan Beraaouz, Abdelfettah Sifeddine, Alessandro Rizzo, Mohamed Hssaisoune, Hanane Reddad, Abdelghani Chehbouni, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Morocco’s drylands cover over 90% of the land area; low and irregular rainfall and high potential evaporation contribute to extremely high-water deficits. These phenomena have greatly impacted rangeland hydrology and nomadic and transhumant pastoralism. To adapt to this predominant water deficit, the inhabitants of these areas have developed two forms of lifestyles, which include household and livestock mobility: (i) a pendulum movement for seasonal transhumance between the mountains and their bordering plains; and (ii) random nomadic mobility regulated by the sporadic frequency of rains and thus water availability. In both cases, this mobility is controlled by the degree of development …

Producing Useful Knowledge For Sustainable Development, K. A. Galvin

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Africa makes a relatively minor contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions compared with developed nations, yet the African continent will be increasingly vulnerable to climate change processes in the coming decades. Critical challenges include meeting basic needs for food, water, shelter, and other necessities without undermining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Coordination efforts to address multiple global change related stressors has generally occurred at the national level and taken an external approach, with national governments favoring collaboration with foreign-based NGOs and other international institutions. However, the involvement of actors at the local level correlates with decisions that are better adapted to …

Large Scale Land Investments And Food Security In Agro-Pastoral Areas Of Ethiopia, Adugna Eneyew Bekele, Liesbeth Dries, Wim Heijman, Dusan Drabik

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

There is an ongoing debate about the impact of large scale land investments on the livelihoods of rural households in developing countries. This study investigates the impact of large scale land investments on households' food security in Ethiopia. The findings show proximity to large scale land investments is associated with higher food intake with an average treatment effect of 744.71 kcal per day per adult. This is mainly because of the availability relatively good natural capitals near to large scale land investments. Large scale land investments should make sure that the local community has access to grazing to improve food …

Climate Change Policy Narratives And Pastoralist Predicaments In The Horn Of Africa: Insights From Ethiopia And Kenya, T. Campbell

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Drawing on the findings of a two-country case study, this paper examines the discourses and narratives found in contemporary climate change and national development policy in Ethiopia and Kenya, the actors shaping those policy narratives, and in turn, their consequences for pastoralism. The research reveals that while concerns around climate change and calls for strengthening resilience of dryland communities have given a new impetus to pastoral development, old arguments and assumptions that depict pastoral areas, and pastoralists, as unproductive and in need of modernisation remain deeply embedded in policy making. These open up spaces for the state, investors, and local …

Towards A Holistic Understanding Of Pastoralism, M. Cabeza, P. Manzano, D. Burgas, L. Cadahía, J. Eronen, Á. Fernández-Llamazares, S. Bencherif, Ø. Holand, M. Fortelius, O. Seitsonen, María E. Fernández-Giménez, K. A. Galvin, N. Chr. Stenseth

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Pastoralism is a globally-important livelihood, with large social, environmental and economic importance across much of our planet. Yet, it is also a vulnerable practice with widespread crises, urgently calling for better systemic understanding. The current disciplinary compartmentalization of research not only hampers this but allows perpetuation of unfortunate misconceptions. Furthermore, a long-standing marginalization of the livelihood prevails, with pastoralism being largely overlooked in international environmental and economic forums or sustainability agendas.

Here we call for transformative approaches to pastoralism research that can advance an integrated understanding of these social-ecological systems through a comparative lens. We develop a framework that uses: …

Pastoral Traditional Ecological Knowledge Dynamicity: A Global Review, A. Sharifian Bahraman, Á. Fernández-Llamazares, H. Wario, Z. Molnár, M. Cabeza

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

There is a significant knowledge gap concerning the extent to which pastoral traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has changed. We conducted a systematic review of 152 papers on pastoral TEK, focusing specifically on 63 papers that explicitly mentioned types of knowledge transitions (retention, erosion, adaptation or hybridization). Studies on pastoral TEK represent less than 3% of all the scholarly literature on TEK. Geographical distribution of the case studies was largely biased. Knowledge domains of pastoral TEK such as herd and livestock management, forage and medicinal plants, and landscape and wildlife were relatively equally covered, however, climate-related knowledge was less studied. Out …

Priority Areas For Action And Research On Pastoralism And Rangelands In Eastern Africa, M. O. Odhiambo

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

There is an element of irony around pastoralism and research in Eastern Africa. While it is one of the most researched production and livelihood systems, pastoralism is also the least understood by policymakers and development actors, with discussions about its importance characterized by significant gaps in knowledge. What is more, policy actors have difficulties accessing empirical data specific to pastoralism and rangelands in a form that allows well-founded decision-making on policy and action. Most available data tend to be out of date and not disaggregated with reference to pastoralism and rangelands. As a result, much of the discourse around pastoralism …

Changing Perceptions Of Rangelands And Pastoralists Through Multistakeholder Action Before And During The Iyrp, A. Waters-Bayer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP) should draw attention to rangelands and pastoralists and their economic, social, cultural and environmental contributions to global wellbeing. The “gap analysis” by UN Environment revealed much ignorance and misperceptions about rangelands and pastoralism among national governments, international institutions and the general public.

The IYRP campaign seeks to foster better understanding of how rangelands are used in an ecologically sound and resource-efficient way, e.g. through mobile pastoralism. It seeks to raise awareness of the importance of rangelands and pastoralists among policymakers. It seeks to encourage investment in the rangelands and related policy support, …

Women’S Empowerment For Demographic Issues And Conflicts In African Pastoralist Societies, M. R. Cevallos, P. Manzano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Widespread conflict is a recurring issue in African pastoralist societies. While its roots are debated, there is a missing link with prevailing poverty among communities and particularly among women. We here apply a gender perspective to establish a hypothesis on the role of women in pastoralist conflicts.

The existing polygynic system establishes a violent frame for pastoralist women, who would be sold at increasingly early ages to provide in turn enough resources for furnishing the dowry needed by their brothers. The control on them would thereby be transferred from their own families to their husband and his family, where they …

Exploring The Information Base Needed For Sustainable Management Of Rangeland Resources For Improved Livelihoods, K. I. Johnsen, M. Niamir-Fuller, A. Bensada, A. Waters-Bayer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Pastoralism is one of the most sustainable production systems worldwide and plays a major role in safeguarding ecosystem services and biodiversity in rangelands. The unique biological and cultural diversity of rangelands contributes to goods, services and knowledge that benefit humans also beyond the herding communities.

Yet data currently available on grassland, forestry, agriculture and livestock are inadequate for informing policymaking on rangeland-based livestock systems. A review of global environmental assessments, online databases, peer-reviewed literature and international project documents showed that available information seldom disaggregates rangelands from other ecosystems or pastoralists from other rural dwellers. Few peer-reviewed publications address pastoral and …

Engaging Stakeholders To Implement Community‐Based Rangeland Rehabilitation Plans In Southern And Northeastern Ethiopia, G. Gebru, D. Amosha, S. Desta, L. Gizachew, A. Kebede, D. Layne Coppock

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Common Property Over Time: Access To And Distribution Of Resources Among Pastoralists In Central Tibet (1884‐2004), Kenneth Bauer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Securing The Environmental Services Of Mobile Pastoralism: Policy And Investment Options, Jonathan Davies

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

To Fence Or Not To Fence: Policy And Enclosure On The Tibetan Plateau, G. Davidson, R. H. Behnke, C. Kerven

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Policy Drivers For Rangelands In Developing Countries, Maryam Niamir‐Fuller

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Commercial Assets Of The Senegalese Pastoral Population (Ferlo), A. Wane, Ibra Touré, V. Ancey

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.