Through the lens of a herder: insights into landscape ethno-ecological knowledge on rangelands in Namaqualand

Abstract

Pastoral areas around the world, including South Africa, are resource poor and external development interventions to improve conditions have largely been unsuccessful. It has been advocated that the focus should shift from external stakeholders to local pastoralists by incorporating the latter’s landscape ethno-ecological knowledge (LEEK) in future management and policy planning. Through the use of participatory methodologies, this study gazed through the lens of Namaqualand herders in South Africa to reflect their specific local needs and what they consider important in their grazing landscape. It highlights that individual pastoralists’ LEEK and management strategies vary but that all are able to read the signs in the rangeland through various plant, animal and soil indicators. As such, pastoralists systematically plan their grazing routes based on the temporal palatability of plants to allow their animals access to a diverse and nutritious diet. The braiding of LEEK into modern science would provide development agencies with the necessary insight into pastoral systems and a platform for planning and policy development.