Papers by Tadesse B Lutta
Ethiopian pastoralists face many threats to their livelihoods both internal and
external. The int... more Ethiopian pastoralists face many threats to their livelihoods both internal and
external. The internal factors include loss of livestock and shrinking rangelands.
Climate change and recurrent drought are among the most obvious external
factors but there are many others. A great many challenges arise from changing
patterns of land use and land tenure. This book seeks to explore these land
tenure, administration and use issues and share experiences from the country’s
pastoralist communities to offer solutions based on knowledge gained over a
two-year study and documentation period conducted in all the pastoralist regions
of Ethiopia. To start, we must have a full understanding of pastoralism.
Pastoralism is a production system made up of people, natural resources,
livestock and social relations. None can exist without land of some sort.
Practised all over the globe, pastoralism is best suited to dry environments
where it can be productive. Pastoralists support each other and work for their
common good by maintaining water points, resolving conflicts and managing
grazing of common land. Extremely adaptable, they use indigenous knowledge
which is passed on through traditional leaders to make the best use of humans,
the environment and livestock; all working together. Pastoralism has been a
good system of production for thousands of years for a significant part of
Ethiopia’s population and it is well suited to many parts of the country. The
experience of the past hundred years, however, shows that pastoralism is
becoming ever more threatened.
There are approximately 10 million pastoralists in Ethiopia who make up
almost 14 percent of the total population. Coming from at least 29 different
nations and nationalities, Ethiopian pastoralists live in more than 133 woredas
(districts) in seven National Regional States. Somali, Afar and Oromo
pastoralists are in the majority in their states and constitute 87 percent of
the total pastoralist population. Pastoral communities in SNNPR (South Omo
and Bench-Maji Zones), Benishangul-Gumuz, Dire Dewa and Gambella make
up the remainder.
The pastoral regions of Ethiopia, as elsewhere in Africa, have a fragile
environment and unpredictable weather. Pastoralist areas cover about 61
percent of Ethiopia. Usually found below 1,500 metres, these areas are known
as ‘arid and semi-arid’ land and are often described as marginal. Pastoralist areas
are sparsely populated; it takes much more land to sustain a population in the
2
Pastoralism and Land: Land Tenure, Administration and Use in Pastoral Areas of Ethiopia
arid lowlands than it does in the well-watered highlands. Overall, pastoralist
areas are noted for their highly variable and uncertain rainfall and are prone
to drought and food shortages.
From this land, the pastoral population of Ethiopia produces more than its
share of national livestock output. The areas in which they live are rich in
cultural and traditional heritage, flora and fauna diversity, valuable minerals,
water, energy resources (solar and wind) and tapped and untapped tourist
attractions. Many of the country’s national parks and reserves for instance are
in pastoralist areas. These areas contribute significantly to the national economy
but economic statistics are so uncertain and skewed that this is very hard to
show using existing data. Despite this contribution pastoralist communities
have been subjected to changes in land tenure, ranging from dispossession
to occupation, which combined with political, economic and socio-cultural
marginalization have made their livelihoods ever harder to sustain.
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Papers by Tadesse B Lutta
external. The internal factors include loss of livestock and shrinking rangelands.
Climate change and recurrent drought are among the most obvious external
factors but there are many others. A great many challenges arise from changing
patterns of land use and land tenure. This book seeks to explore these land
tenure, administration and use issues and share experiences from the country’s
pastoralist communities to offer solutions based on knowledge gained over a
two-year study and documentation period conducted in all the pastoralist regions
of Ethiopia. To start, we must have a full understanding of pastoralism.
Pastoralism is a production system made up of people, natural resources,
livestock and social relations. None can exist without land of some sort.
Practised all over the globe, pastoralism is best suited to dry environments
where it can be productive. Pastoralists support each other and work for their
common good by maintaining water points, resolving conflicts and managing
grazing of common land. Extremely adaptable, they use indigenous knowledge
which is passed on through traditional leaders to make the best use of humans,
the environment and livestock; all working together. Pastoralism has been a
good system of production for thousands of years for a significant part of
Ethiopia’s population and it is well suited to many parts of the country. The
experience of the past hundred years, however, shows that pastoralism is
becoming ever more threatened.
There are approximately 10 million pastoralists in Ethiopia who make up
almost 14 percent of the total population. Coming from at least 29 different
nations and nationalities, Ethiopian pastoralists live in more than 133 woredas
(districts) in seven National Regional States. Somali, Afar and Oromo
pastoralists are in the majority in their states and constitute 87 percent of
the total pastoralist population. Pastoral communities in SNNPR (South Omo
and Bench-Maji Zones), Benishangul-Gumuz, Dire Dewa and Gambella make
up the remainder.
The pastoral regions of Ethiopia, as elsewhere in Africa, have a fragile
environment and unpredictable weather. Pastoralist areas cover about 61
percent of Ethiopia. Usually found below 1,500 metres, these areas are known
as ‘arid and semi-arid’ land and are often described as marginal. Pastoralist areas
are sparsely populated; it takes much more land to sustain a population in the
2
Pastoralism and Land: Land Tenure, Administration and Use in Pastoral Areas of Ethiopia
arid lowlands than it does in the well-watered highlands. Overall, pastoralist
areas are noted for their highly variable and uncertain rainfall and are prone
to drought and food shortages.
From this land, the pastoral population of Ethiopia produces more than its
share of national livestock output. The areas in which they live are rich in
cultural and traditional heritage, flora and fauna diversity, valuable minerals,
water, energy resources (solar and wind) and tapped and untapped tourist
attractions. Many of the country’s national parks and reserves for instance are
in pastoralist areas. These areas contribute significantly to the national economy
but economic statistics are so uncertain and skewed that this is very hard to
show using existing data. Despite this contribution pastoralist communities
have been subjected to changes in land tenure, ranging from dispossession
to occupation, which combined with political, economic and socio-cultural
marginalization have made their livelihoods ever harder to sustain.
external. The internal factors include loss of livestock and shrinking rangelands.
Climate change and recurrent drought are among the most obvious external
factors but there are many others. A great many challenges arise from changing
patterns of land use and land tenure. This book seeks to explore these land
tenure, administration and use issues and share experiences from the country’s
pastoralist communities to offer solutions based on knowledge gained over a
two-year study and documentation period conducted in all the pastoralist regions
of Ethiopia. To start, we must have a full understanding of pastoralism.
Pastoralism is a production system made up of people, natural resources,
livestock and social relations. None can exist without land of some sort.
Practised all over the globe, pastoralism is best suited to dry environments
where it can be productive. Pastoralists support each other and work for their
common good by maintaining water points, resolving conflicts and managing
grazing of common land. Extremely adaptable, they use indigenous knowledge
which is passed on through traditional leaders to make the best use of humans,
the environment and livestock; all working together. Pastoralism has been a
good system of production for thousands of years for a significant part of
Ethiopia’s population and it is well suited to many parts of the country. The
experience of the past hundred years, however, shows that pastoralism is
becoming ever more threatened.
There are approximately 10 million pastoralists in Ethiopia who make up
almost 14 percent of the total population. Coming from at least 29 different
nations and nationalities, Ethiopian pastoralists live in more than 133 woredas
(districts) in seven National Regional States. Somali, Afar and Oromo
pastoralists are in the majority in their states and constitute 87 percent of
the total pastoralist population. Pastoral communities in SNNPR (South Omo
and Bench-Maji Zones), Benishangul-Gumuz, Dire Dewa and Gambella make
up the remainder.
The pastoral regions of Ethiopia, as elsewhere in Africa, have a fragile
environment and unpredictable weather. Pastoralist areas cover about 61
percent of Ethiopia. Usually found below 1,500 metres, these areas are known
as ‘arid and semi-arid’ land and are often described as marginal. Pastoralist areas
are sparsely populated; it takes much more land to sustain a population in the
2
Pastoralism and Land: Land Tenure, Administration and Use in Pastoral Areas of Ethiopia
arid lowlands than it does in the well-watered highlands. Overall, pastoralist
areas are noted for their highly variable and uncertain rainfall and are prone
to drought and food shortages.
From this land, the pastoral population of Ethiopia produces more than its
share of national livestock output. The areas in which they live are rich in
cultural and traditional heritage, flora and fauna diversity, valuable minerals,
water, energy resources (solar and wind) and tapped and untapped tourist
attractions. Many of the country’s national parks and reserves for instance are
in pastoralist areas. These areas contribute significantly to the national economy
but economic statistics are so uncertain and skewed that this is very hard to
show using existing data. Despite this contribution pastoralist communities
have been subjected to changes in land tenure, ranging from dispossession
to occupation, which combined with political, economic and socio-cultural
marginalization have made their livelihoods ever harder to sustain.