The Role of Livestock Mobility in the Livelihood Strategies of Rural Peoples in Semi-Arid West Africa

摘要: Over the past 10 years, mobility of livestock has been portrayed as increasing resilience rural households in semi-arid Africa to climate change and variability. With this recognition, there important work characterizing barriers it. This paper adds by addressing two gaps literature: 1. An understanding variation practices among communities; 2. peoples’ views advantages disadvantages well factors affecting their decisions about herd movements. A mixed-methods approach was adopted analyze data collected household survey group interviews conducted 32 multi-ethnic villages Mali Niger spanning 12.5° N 16.5° latitudinal range. The results regression qualitative analyses show that: large fraction rely on part livelihood strategies; Grazing management a majority village depends movements outside territory, especially during rainy season; 3. is not strongly influenced village’s sociprofessional composition (farmer, herder, fisher, artisan..etc.); 4. prevalence extra-village (sheep cattle) higher areas population density. Despite cited informants, longer-distance are inhibited risks associated with climatic, land-use, sociopolitical change. Herd managers make using diverse information potential destinations greater trust gathered themselves or close kin. implications these findings for policy region discussed.