This article synthesises findings on various topics relating to drought strategies and land use in African pastoral systems. These include:an exploration of the ecology of african rangelandsan investigation into pastoral strategies for mitigation of droughta look at the importance of…

This article discusses the zoning of 'Communual Areas' on tribal grazing land in Botswana, in which communities retain collective land rights.From the experience gained during six years of attempting to establish and operate communal grazing cells a number of conclusions can be drawn…

The present paper is based on a participatory survey carried out in order to establish baseline information on a little known livestock production system and its role in local ecology and economy.The study is based on research in El Kala National Park (North East Algeria).This paper draws…

Botswana's meat export parastatal, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), has been much in the local news. Cattle suppliers have become accustomed to substantial annual producer price increases from this successful national industry, which has expanded increasingly into European markets. But…

The enclosure of open rangeland and its allocation to individuals or groups is a component of many African livestock development projects. In project after project, however, pastoralists have declined to fence or reallocate ownership of their land according to project specifications. It would…

Attempts at settling or sedentarizing nomadic herders in semi-arid and arid regions have been largely unsuccessful, partly on account of the difficulty of restricting the movements of domestic livestock in areas where low and irregular rainfall lead to scant and unreliable sources of water and…

This paper is based on a series of studies conducted by the author on the settlement problems, work roles and educational experiments among nomadic Fulani in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna States, Nigeria, from 1982 to 1984.The first part of this paper describes the land tenure system in northern…

Presents a collection of conference papers defining pastoral systems research; the survey and diagnostic phase of pastoral systems research; ILCA's experience in remote sensing techniques and aerial surveys; survey of vegetation resources; livestock productivity and animal nutrition;…

Recommendations for preservation and improvement of sub-Saharan rangelands, and for training people in range management and animal production.

Hardest hit by desertification is Sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty is more widespread, preparedness for catastrophe is lower, and means for adequately coping with the phenomenon are very weak; two thirds of the arable land will be lost by 2025.The subcontinent needs improved integrated…

Water, food and energy are fundamental to African development. However, several crucial issues need to be addressed. Are African resources used to meet African needs or are they being exploited to satisfy the needs of other actors facing food and energy insecurity?