Traditional rangeland resource utilisation practices and pastoralists' perceptions on land degradation in south-east Ethiopia

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine rangeland resource utilisation practices of pastoralists and rangeland degradation in Rayitu district, south- east Ethiopia. A single-visit survey method was used to gather data through a structuredues- a structuredues- tionnaire (90 households), group discussions and direct observations. Free grazing of communal land (100%), use of enclosures (89%), division of herds based on species and class of animal (59%), migration (79%) and seasonal assessments of the condition of rangeland were the basic traditional rangeland management practices. About 91% of pastoralists indicated that the condition of their rangelands was poor. The most dominant use for woody plants was for construction (91%), fol- lowed by browse (68%) and medicinal purposes (25%). More than 86% of the respondents con- sidered that their grazing lands now carried more bushes and shrubs than they did 30 years ago. Feed and water shortages and drought were iden- tified as current challenges for pastoralists, with migration the main coping strategy, in spite of the hardships it entails. Rejuvenating the existing rangelands reuires the development of a range- land management strategy involving pastoralists and other stakeholders, with all participants fully committed to a successful outcome. A reduction in livestock numbers must be an essential compo- nent of any future strategy.