This brief on water in the drylands of Africa will explore the critical importance of water governance not only for water access and maintenance of water infrastructure, but also the wider governance and use of the surrounding rangelands. It shows why effective water governance is critical for the sustainability of pastoral systems, peace, and managing the risk of overgrazing/land degradation.
Year of publication: 2024Organization: Individual authors, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Tufts University
Topic: Environmental services
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: West Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa
This briefing paper presents African pastoralism as an adaptation to uncertain and changeable climate, as well as some of the main challenges that compromise pastoralists’ inherent adaptive capacity. The paper is divided into five parts. Part one is an introduction to pastoralism and climate variability in Africa. Part two focuses on pastoralism in the context of climate change. Part three lays out key nonclimate stressors that cripple pastoralists’ ability to adapt and increase their vulnerability. Part four analyzes the narrative linked to “livestock, meat, and milk are bad for the environment.” Part five presents key conclusions and recommendations.
Year of publication: 2024Organization: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Tufts University
Topic: Climate change
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: West Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa
This learning brief documents the main lessons drawn from the South Sudan country investment project entitled Resilient Pastoral Livelihoods and Education implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its partners. It showcases key learning on the role of the Pastoralist Livelihoods and Education Field School (PLEFS) approach in enhancing the food security and livelihoods resilience of mobile pastoral communities and households in South Sudan’s cattle camps. More specifically, this learning brief explores how and to what extent an approach like PLEFS contributes to mitigating conflict and building resilience in pastoral areas.
Year of publication: 2024Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Topic: Conflict, Food security, Resilience
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: Eastern Africa
Pastoralist mobility underpins resilience, food security, nutrition, and human and animal health. This learning brief presents preliminary findings on strategic mobility and its nutritional benefits to pastoral and agropastoral communities in select sites in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, Kenya.
Year of publication: 2023Organization: Individual authors, Tufts University
Topic: Environmental services
Language: English
Type of document: Policies and legislation
Geographical coverage: Eastern Africa
The Framework for Gender-Responsive Livestock Development was jointly developed with the aim of supporting the planning and implementation of gender-responsive policies, projects and investments related to the development of the livestock sector. It provides an overarching framework to support the formulation of action plans and guidance documents contributing to gender equality and women’s empowerment through livestock development.
Year of publication: 2023Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), World Bank
Topic: Gender and youth
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: Global
This report explores how climate change can intersect with conflict in South Sudan. Using case studies of Kapoeta and the Mangala-Bor corridor, the report finds that climatic events, such as drought and flooding, remain key contributors to migration and violence, including gender-based violence. To mitigate the effects of climate change on conflict, the report provides conflict-sensitive recommendations for aid agencies and donors operating in both drought and flood-hit areas across the country.
Year of publication: 2023Organization: Individual authors
Topic: Climate change, Conflict
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: Eastern Africa
This policy brief summarises key learning from the Ward Development Planning model, an innovative approach to local participatory development planning being implemented in Kenya’s drylands.
Year of publication: 2023Organization: Individual authors
Topic: Land, Participation
Language: English
Type of document: Policies and legislation
Geographical coverage: Eastern Africa
The purpose of this Sourcebook is to provide advice on how to incorporate disaster risk reduction and resilience building into the watershed management process. As an increasingly heavier toll is exerted on agriculture and food systems by drought, floods, wildfires, and other extreme events, adopting risk reduction and management practices must become an integral part of watershed management. While the steps involved to incorporate resilience building are similar to those routinely carried out in integrated watershed management, this Sourcebook stresses the importance of understanding disaster and climate risks, adopting a landscape approach and targeting vulnerable groups (e.g. women, youth, indigenous people, others) at all stages of planning and implementing watershed management.
Year of publication: 2023Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Topic: Environmental services, Resilience
Language: English
Type of document: Technical
Geographical coverage: Global