17.01.2014 Views

TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

46 IMPROVEMENT OF TROPlGAL AND SUBTROPlGAL RANGELANDS<br />

have eliminated the raidinC <strong>and</strong> warfare that often characterized the<br />

relationship between herders <strong>and</strong> their neichbors. While pacification<br />

is in itself quite desirable, it often had the effect of openinc crazing<br />

l<strong>and</strong>s to croups that previously did not have accea to them. Often<br />

the state did not give title or the means to restrict access to crazing<br />

l<strong>and</strong>s to anyone. This in effect made it impouible for communities to<br />

enforce local regulations desiped to protect pastures or woodl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />

Often government planners felt that local rules concerning pasture<br />

use prevented efficient meat production or impeded nation building<br />

(Sall, 1978; Cole, 1981). They wished to create a common pasture situation<br />

in which any individual who wished to raise livestock was free<br />

to do 10, both to exp<strong>and</strong> meat production <strong>and</strong> to combat tribalism.<br />

In many instances, theee chances were accompanied by changes in<br />

herd composition. For example, cattle production increased dramatically<br />

in the northern Sahel at the expense of less destructive, better<br />

adapted forms of livestock, such as the camel (National Research<br />

Council, 1983).<br />

The reduction of intercroup hostilities <strong>and</strong> the introduction of<br />

government l<strong>and</strong> resource planning had additional impacts on the<br />

viability of traditional pastoral economies. Governments have generally<br />

sided with acriculturalists in disputes between them <strong>and</strong> pastoralists.<br />

The cessation of raiding by pastoral croups led to projects<br />

to exp<strong>and</strong> acricultural production, <strong>and</strong> population pre.ures have<br />

contributed to the expansion of cultivated areas-further reducing<br />

the mobility of traditional pastoralists. Generally, those l<strong>and</strong>s that<br />

are occupied by farmers are marginal cropl<strong>and</strong>s but are among the<br />

best watered <strong>and</strong> most productive pastures (figure 2-3). They are<br />

generally those used during the dry season or in winter months when<br />

the productivity of other pastures is low. The 1018 of these l<strong>and</strong>s<br />

to farmers forces animals to remain longer on more marginal l<strong>and</strong>s<br />

<strong>and</strong> increases the likelihood of erosion <strong>and</strong> deeertification due to<br />

overgrazing. Even where arrangements can be made for the pasturing<br />

of animals on stubble, as is the cue of much of West Africa,<br />

mobility is reduced. Such arrangements can often be developed for<br />

regular seasonal usage of pastures but not usually for occasional or<br />

for emergency use.<br />

While governments frequently have reduced pastoral groups'<br />

l<strong>and</strong> rights, in some countries there have been attempts to protect<br />

pastoralists by adjudicating l<strong>and</strong> rights. French colonial authorities<br />

in North Africa attempted to adjudicate tribal boundaries, <strong>and</strong>,<br />

in East Africa, post-independence governments have attempted to

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!