The Cross-Border Transhumance in West Africa Proposal for Action Plan

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with Economic Community of West African States The cross-border transhumance in West Africa Proposal for Action Plan June 2012 TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENT ...................................................................................................................................... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................................. 5 Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 7 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 10 2. Background of livestock in West Africa .................................................................................................. 12 2.1. Increasing livestock numbers .......................................................................................................... 12 2.2. Many animal breeds but some endangered ................................................................................... 12 2.3. Livestock production systems in West Africa .................................................................................. 15 2.3.1. Pastoral systems ....................................................................................................................... 15 2.3.2. Urban and peri-urban livestock production systems ............................................................... 16 2.3.3. Mixed farming Systems (agro-pastoral or agro-pastoral and forestry) ................................... 17 2.4. The importance of livestock in the economy of West Africa .......................................................... 18 2.5. Pastoralists’ economic situation and vulnerability in West Africa .................................................. 19 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF CROSS-BORDER TRANSHUMANCE IN WEST AFRICA ........................................... 22 3.1. The various forms of transhumance ............................................................................................... 22 3.2. Factors behind cross-border transhumance ................................................................................... 23 3.3. Evolution of pastoralism faced with constraints in access to resource .......................................... 24 3.4. Transhumance directions and itineraries ........................................................................................ 25 3.4.1. The main areas of cross-border transhumance ....................................................................... 25 3.4.2. Transhumance routes ............................................................................................................... 29 3.4.3. The livestock corridors and grazing areas during CBT .............................................................. 30 3.5. The problems cross-border transhumance is facing ....................................................................... 31 3.6. The actors of transhumance............................................................................................................ 32 3.7. Conflicts during border transhumance ........................................................................................... 33 3.7.1. Origins of conflict ..................................................................................................................... 33 3.7.2. The different types of conflict .................................................................................................. 34 Page | 2 3.7.3. Management and prevention of conflicts ................................................................................ 36 3.7.4. The consequences of conflict ................................................................................................... 38 3.8. The sanitary consequences of transhumance ................................................................................. 39 3.9. The role of women during CBT ........................................................................................................ 40 3.10. Relationship between the TT and marketing of livestock and animal products ........................... 40 4. Analysis of cross-border transhumance compared to the great challenges of farming in West Africa 42 4.1. Adaptation to climate change and environmental degradation ..................................................... 42 4.1.1. Climate change and its impacts on production systems in West Africa .................................. 42 4.1.2. Increased invasion of the Protected Areas (PA) ....................................................................... 45 4.1.3. Development of agro forestry and pastoral and its consequences ......................................... 46 4.1.4. Trend of production systems due to different mutations........................................................ 48 4.1.5. Impact of mining activities on rangelands ............................................................................... 48 4.1.6. Changing the epidemiological map .......................................................................................... 49 4.2. Consideration of the CBT in land policy .......................................................................................... 49 4.2.1. Competition for access to land by nomadic grazing ................................................................ 49 4.2.2. Assessment of the security of pastoral land by states and institutions in regional ................. 50 4.2.3. Levels of inclusion of pastoral land .......................................................................................... 54 4.3. Taking into account CBT while developing policies, legislation and regulation .............................. 55 4.3.1. Consideration of the CBT in policies and institutions at national and sub regional level ........ 55 4.3.2. Consideration of the CBT regarding the laws and regulations ................................................. 65 4.4. Contribution to the demand related to population growth and urban centres’ development...... 71 4.4.1. The contribution of pastoralism to demand related to population growth ............................ 71 4.4.2. The contribution of pastoralism to the development of urban centres .................................. 74 5. Solutions to various challenges for a sustainable improvement in the contribution of transhumance to the economy of West Africa ....................................................................................................................... 76 5.1 Sustainably reduce the production losses of transhumance due to climate change and various forms of pastoral land degradation........................................................................................................ 76 5.2 Strengthen the role of transhumance in the development policies and national institutions and sub-regional ............................................................................................................................................ 79 Page | 3 5.3 Improve the contribution of nomadic herds to supply animal products to urban centres ............. 81 6. Action plans for a sustainable improvement OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF transhumancT HERDS TO the economy OF West African .......................................................................................................................... 83 6.1Sustainably reduce transhumance’s production losses due to climate change, pastureland degradation and livestock loss ............................................................................................................... 83 6.2. Strengthen the role of transhumance in development policies and with national and sub regional institutions .............................................................................................................................................. 85 6.3. Improving transhumance’s contribution in supplying rural and urban areas with animal products ................................................................................................................................................................ 86 6.4 Sustainably reduce transhumance production losses due to climate change, degradation of pasture land and livestock predation ..................................................................................................... 87 6.5 Strengthen the role of transhumance in development policies and with national and sub regional institutions .............................................................................................................................................. 90 6.6 Improve the contribution of transhumant herds in animal product supply to rural and urban populations ............................................................................................................................................. 92 7. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 94 8. References .............................................................................................................................................. 96 8.1. References listed in the text ...........................................................................................................

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