Perceived effects of transhumant practices on natural resource management in southern Mali

Abstract

Recurring forage and water scarcity in the Sahelian zone of West Africa, especially in the dry season, has led to increased livestock movement into Sudano-Sahelian and Sudano-Guinean zones in the region. This increased movement by transhumant herders has resulted in growing competition over natural resources. Despite the strong presence of transhumant herds in the Sudano-Sahelian/Sudano-Guinean zones of Mali in the past 30 years, there has been limited research on the practice of transhumance in these zones, compared to several studies in the Sahelian zone. In this paper, we present how various actors in two districts in the Sudano-Sahelian/Sudano-Guinea zones of Mali perceived the effect of transhumant practices on natural resource management. Results from the study showed that more than 75% of all categories of respondents in both study sites perceived a decline in availability of forage resources and water as a result of the increased number of transhumant herders in their communities. Furthermore, a greater proportion of farmers and settled pastoralists in both study sites responded that there has been a decline in species richness of the vegetation. In contrast, more than 50% of transhumant herders did not see any change in species richness of natural vegetation due to their presence. They argued that the observed decline in species richness of the vegetation is due to climate change. Education level, location and socio-professional categories tended to be the key factors influencing respondent's perception on the impact of transhumant practices on natural resource management. As the perceived impact of transhumant practices depends on socio-professional groups, it is necessary to engage all the actors on how to effectively manage the presence of transhumant herders, in order to promote sustainable use of natural resources in southern Mali. Besides, more research is needed to assess the validity of the reported perceptions in this study.

Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

“…Furthermore, the contradictory perceptions were more pronounced in Kétou, confirming the poor integration of agriculture with livestock as mentioned above. In accordance with an earlier study [13], the influence of socio-professional groups on respondents' perception of the impact of transhumant practices on the status of natural resources may be explained by the fact that members of different socio-professional groups pursue diverse and competitive interests. Herders seek land to graze their animals, while farmers claim the same lands to produce food or cash crops.…”

“…In the past, the general trend of transhumance practices in West Africa has been placed on increasing livestock movement into Sudano-Sahelian and Sudano-Guinean zones [11,12]. These increased movements by transhumant herders have resulted in growing competition for natural resources [13]. Moreover, due to demographic pressure, encroachment of cultivated fields into grazing areas and livestock corridors has increased [4] and constrains the mobility of animals.…”

“…National and regional policies including laws that regulate the practice of pastoralism and the management of common rangeland resources in Benin and in West Africa exist but are poorly enforced [9]. Umutoni and Ayantunde (2018) [13] argued that the existing local institutions are sometimes slow in addressing the dynamics of natural resource use in response to demographic pressure and new economic interest. As reported by [14] in the case of southern Mali, natural resource governance is weak, as the majority of regulations/laws are oral, and the participation of the community members in their elaboration is very low.…”

“…The new regulation came into force in April 2019, and restricts transhumance in the country. Umutoni and Ayantunde (2018) [13] advocate for the reinforcement of local institutions that regulate access to natural resources and use by various actors. The same authors reported increased unauthorized grazing of crop residues in Bougouni (southern Mali) and a decline in the availability of forage resources and annual production of vegetation.…”

“…The same authors reported increased unauthorized grazing of crop residues in Bougouni (southern Mali) and a decline in the availability of forage resources and annual production of vegetation. Moreover, farmers and settled transhumant herders provided similar reports on declining soil fertility and palatable forage species [13]. While livestock herding remains the most important income activity for households in pastoral settlements [15], there is an urgent need to reduce conflicts between herders and crop farmers in order to sustain cattle production and ensure food security for the local communities.…”