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The access to the contents of this doctoral thesis it is limited to the acceptance of the use conditions set by the following Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/?lang=en Shrinking pasture, burgeoning herds: Divergent adaptation to climate change in Tahoua, Niger Julie Snorek Candidate, PhD in Environmental Science and Technology United Nations University: Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) Directors ______________________________________ Dr. Fabrice Renaud, PhD UNU-EHS ______________________________________ Dr. Christos Zografos, PhD ICTA, UAB Tutor ______________________________________ Isabelle Anguelovski, PhD ICTA, UAB September 23, 2016 II “The power of a theory is exactly proportional to the diversity of situations it can explain.” - Elinor Ostrom “Il faut creuser les puits aujourd’hui pour étancher les soifs de demain.” - Proverbe Tuareg Snorek, J. III Acknowledgements There are a great many individuals whose kindness, intellect, and guidance deserve mentioning. I am especially endebted to Fabrice Renaud for his consistent support as a mentor during which he performed numerous services to my benefit, including his unwavering faith in me and in my scholarly work. When the Niamey terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two Frenchman was carried out just one month before I was to begin field work, Fabrice defended my desire to con- tinue the research in Niger. After the field work, he provided numerous opportunities to share my work within the United Nations system and encouraged my attendance to the most signifi- cant conferences in my field. The most memorable experiences took place during his two site visits to Niger: a dinner party in complete darkness and 35ºC due to a ‘hot-season’ power out- age; encountering Niger’s wild herd of giraffes during our scoping trip to the Dallol Bosso, and observing an unfolding land use conflict during an encounter with a charismatic Fulani chieftan in Konni. If there is anything regretful about the submission of this thesis, it is the lessening of the opportunity to work with such a mentor. When I first arrived on the Autonomous University’s campus, Christos’ warmth and welcome helped me to establish a strong bond with my home university. Through our conversations and his astute advice, the ideas that shaped the theoretical framework both deepened and broad- ened. I especially wish to thank Christos for his immense grace and persistence, expressed espe- cially during the final year of thesis-wriitng, as he challenged me to move beyond my limitations regarding the content and structure of the analyses. Without Christos’ intellectual contributions, advice on how to maneuver the Spanish bureaucracy, and encouragement to integrate into my second scientific home, I would not be the diversified and resilient scholar that I have come to be through this doctoral work. This research would not have been possible without the in-depth training, financial support, and academic guidance I gained from numerous individuals I met during my four-year stay at the Unit- ed Nations University: Institute for Environment and Human Security in Bonn, Germany. These in- clude: Noha El Shoky for being the one to orient me in the immigration into Bonn, Germany; Lars Wirkus for always having an open door to assist me as I wrote my thesis proposal and each deliv- erable of the CLICO project; Zita Sebesvari, for her unfailing kindness and warm laughter over far too few coffees and lunches shared together; Therese Rosenfeld, for her consistency as a co- author, friend, and researcher; Tamer Afifi, who provided many important contacts for my scoping trip to Niamey; Koko Warner, for seeing the value of my master’s work and asking me to contrib- ute to several very interesting and beneficial projects throughout my time at the institution; Mi- chael Zissener, for his very insightful comments and challenging questions during several colloquia and reviews; Susanne Haas, for her eternal positivity and skills that permitted me to have better and more accurate GIS maps; Nazmul Huq, for being my best cheer-leader and closest colleague, providing solid advice, and always finding something to laugh about; Jorg Szarzynski, for establish- ing an affiliation with ACMAD in Niamey on my behalf; and the entire group of PhD students living and working between UNU, University of Bonn, and the Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung (ZEF) for their companionship, interesting discussions, baking adventures and excursions, and in general for bringing light and sunshine to the often rainy, dark days in Bonn. The majority of this research was funded as part of the three-year European Commission Sev- enth Framework Program CLICO (Climate Change, Hydro-Conflict, and Human Security) program, devoted to the study of the social dimensions of climate change. In 2011, the African Centre of Snorek, J. IV Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) kindly hosted our research team in Nia- mey, Niger, and the Laboratories d’Etudes et de Recherches sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement Local (LASDEL) provided helpful contacts and advice during multiple stages of our research project. Remote sensing very high resolution data (Quickbird-2 and WorldView-1) have been provided by European Space Imaging (EUSI), and the data copyright is originally with DigitalGlobe and is granted to the authors of Chapter 6. RapidEye data has been provided on be- half of the German Aerospace Centre through funding of the German Federal Ministry of Econ- omy and Energy. Specifically, I wish to thank Linda Moser who contributed the remote sensing analyses to explain some of the unique and interesting environmental change phenomena in the case study area which are presented in Chapter 6. Due to security constraints, I often felt I was more a security risk for the individuals who were my hosts and research assistants, due to my potential as a target for terrorist groups that were ac- tive in the region during my field visits. I am thoroughly indebted to those who took a risk in or- der to support the project. I express my deep thanks to our research assistants – Bode Sambo for guiding me during my scoping trip and providing very interesting documents on pastoralism in Niger; Anika Rissalamine for his orchestration and guidance in the initial arrangements, key con- tact base, and tireless support during the first months of field work; Youssouf Wadine for his fa- therly guidance, field translation and indelible kindness, wisdom, and perseverance under chal- lenging security conditions; and Moussa Abdourahamane for conducting research alone and un- der difficult security conditions with excellence as well as a cheerful and precise daily recapitula- tion of the day’s findings with me, as I was not able to join him due to insecurity in the zone. I’ve very grateful to my numerous hosts including the Khadijatou Adal and her family who provided me with a warm and safe home in Tahoua; Benou Ajilani and his family for giving me a secure and convivial home in Keita as well as numerous important contacts; and the Mayor of Bangui for hosting us in their guest house. I’m equally indebted to our drivers Abass and Moussa, who provided humor, security, and an occasional meal to our research teams during the long days of field work. I’d like to thank the chiefs of the villages in which we spent countless hours of coming and going during the 8 months of field research in Tahoua and the pastoral communities who gave us their precious time during transhumance. Similarly, I’d like to thank the Kel Tamashaq communities in both Niger and the wider diaspora for encouraging my work and inviting me to interesting cultural events and political gatherings in Niger, Mali, and Europe. Without you all indeed this work would have much less raison d’etre. I cannot end without pointing out that the writing of a thesis often requires one to close oneself off from loved ones in a seemingly selfish and socially exclusive manner. Thus, to those loved ones (you all know who you are) who set aside their desires for quality time, long conversation, and a desire to see my face illumined by something other than my computer’s light, I dedicate this work to you. My mother, who has followed my stories since my journeying began has pack- aged her love for and depth of understanding of the pastoral people in Niger into the beautiful cover drawing that adorns this thesis. I cannot express how grateful I am to my mother for her persistent love and support of me throughout what were some very challenging and life-shifting years of thesis writing. To Mom and the other close friends and family, it was your love and sup- port as well as the promise that you will still be there when it is all over that has kept this effort moving forward and given me the courage to complete it, and I will forever be grateful. Snorek, J. V A note about the author This self-illustration stems from the premise that the approach to any problem is shaped by the researcher’s own perspective. This research, a treatise on sustainable development and adapta- tion to climate change in Niger, stems from my experience living with and learning from the KelGress Eghawilen (Tuareg from southern Niger) agro-pastoralist people of Tahoua, Niger first as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2005 to 2006 and thereafter as a frequent visitor, guest, and ‘surrogate’ family member.