Drought-Time Grazing Reserves

In more severe dry seasons and times of drought, most pastoral systems have well-known drought refuge grazing areas. These are often (not always) areas with certain disadvantages or risks which reduce their routine utilisation during more favourable times, such as remoteness, poor access, lack of water resources, poorer quality grazing, exposure to livestock disease, and insecurity

Ensuring the availability of these areas in time of drought is a sound drought management policy, from the points of view of:

- human welfare
- reducing risks of overgrazing in areas used in normal dry seasons.

Two sorts of policy can contribute to the availability of drought-time grazing:

- long-term policies on pastoral land tenure, including

- systematic identification of drought movement patterns and drought refuge grazing areas
- strengthening local natural resource management
- promoting conflict resolution mechanisms

- short term policies to open these areas in drought years, which might include:

- emergency water provision
- distribution of preventive animal health inputs for the time-bound overcoming of disease challenge
- emergency opening-up of national parks and other protected areas.

Key Reference

Hendy, C. and Morton, J. (in press). Contingency planning for drought-time grazing resources and management in pastoral areas of Northern Kenya. In Morton, J (ed) Pastoralism, Drought and Planning: Lessons from Northern Kenya and Elsewhere. NRI, Chatham.

[Livestock & Environment Toolbox Home]