Impacts of Land Use and Cover Changes on Transhumant Pastoralism in Sudanian Zones of Burkina Faso, West Africa

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate how the rapid land use and cover changes is affecting pastoral resources and practices within Kompienga province in Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso. To achieve this aim, Landsat images data of years 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2015 were retrieved and analysed. Images were acquired following the path 193 and row 52, from Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and . Images processing were done using 350 training sample for both; the purpose of supervised classification and accuracy assessment. Random Forest Algorithm (RFA) procedures in R-Software (version 3.3.2) were used for images classification. Furthermore, survey data were collected through group discussions and individual interviews with a 271 head of household respondents (pastoralists and agro-pastoralists) to investigate respondents' perceptions on land uses and covers changes and its impacts on their pastoral and agro pastoral resources and animal husbandry practices. Results showed that Land use dynamics was characterized by an increase in croplands at an average rate of 46.7 % per year, between 1989 and 2015. On the contrary a decline of pasture lands was observed since 2001 at an average rate of 6.0 % per year. Similar trends in land uses changes were observed by interviewed respondents who depicted an increase in cropping lands (98.5 % of respondents) to the detriment of pasture lands (97.8 % of respondents). To overcome these land use/land cover changes and it subsequent consequences, respondent pastoralists and agro pastoralists have developed local adaptations strategies. ISSN 2166-0379 2018 http://jas.macrothink.org 91 Thus, some measures are still needed at government level to sustain local pastoralist and agro-pastoralist efforts and strengthen their adaptive capacity. Journal of Agricultural Studies

Changes in livelihood strategies and animal husbandry practices of pastoralists in the sub-humid zone of West Africa

“…This might be explained by the fact that years in residence in the sub-humid zone allowed sedentarized pastoralists to rebuild their herd and accumulate financial resources through diversification of income sources as discussed above. In fact, availability and relative abundance of natural resources (forage and water) for livestock rearing in the designated settlement areas (Sanou et al, 2018), and the possibility for earning off-farm income near or in urban centres led to livestock wealth accumulation, since traditionally and until today, surplus cash is invested in animals. Also, as market opportunities exist in these areas especially for meat and dairy products, livestock keepers have improved health care and reproductive management of their livestock to maximize their benefits.…”