INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY, FOOD SYSTEMS AND TRADITIONAL LIVELIHOODS.

CUSCO PERU4TH-6TH NOV. 2014

LIBAN GOLICHAWASO TRUSTLAND PROJECT

ISIOLO COUNTYKENYA

Email: libangolicha@yahoo.comWebsite: www.wasotrust.org

PASTORALISM IN NORTHERN KENYA

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

Size – 582,650 square KM (224,962 square miles) Population – 43 million Administrative Unit - 47 Counties

WASO TRUSTLAND PROJECT

• VISIONEmpowered pastoralist communities that enjoys peace, secure

land tenure, abundant natural resources and sustainable

development in Isiolo County

MISSIONWTL exist to empower pastoralist communities to

understand and apply their rights and responsibilities

on the management of their land and natural

resources through training, education and advocacy

PROGRAM THEMATIC AREAS

1. Land Rights and Sustainable Land Use Practices To facilitate individual residents and pastoralist

communities in Isiolo county attain tenure rights and use their land in a sustainable way.

2. Social Economic Development To equip community members with skills to sustainably use

culture and natural resources for economic gains and promotion of social cohesion.

PROGRAM CON’T

3. Environment and Natural Resources Management To create awareness on community based environment

conservation concept and opportunities to sustainably exploit natural products for economic gains.

4. Research, Documentation and Dissemination To provide information to aid other advocacy work on land

and land related issues in Isiolo County

DEFINITION

Pastoralism refers both an economic activity and cultural identity Is a livelihood system that incorporates refined resource management, production, trade and social welfare mechanismsCrucial aspect of pastoralist specialization are:-I.The interaction of people, animals and environment; particularly strategic mobility of livestock and selective feedingII.The dev’t of flexible resource management system; particularly communal land management institution and non exclusive entitlement to water resources

STATUS

o Pastoralism is mostly undertaken in ASALs, that make up more than 40% of the earth’s dry surface and home to 35% of the world population.oIn Kenya, ASALs occupy 89% of land mass, home to 14million people and 70% of the national livestock herdo Pastoralists account for about 20% of the total populationoThey occupy most of the country’s 80% arid and semi-arid areas.

CHALLENGES

Pastoralism perceived as an outdated, economically inefficient and environmentally destructive land use system

Government policies to settle pastoralists and to be ‘modern’

Contribution to the economy of Kenya not acknowledged by the state.

Pastoralist are economically and politically marginalized

ASALs have lowest development indicator in all aspects and the highest incidence of poverty.

Challenges Con’t

This was as result of:-

I. Conscious public policy choices taken in Kenya’s past, under the heading “Provincial Balance and Social Inertia”

II. Biased policy guiding direction of gov’t resources Northern Kenya is now seen as the new frontier that will

provide new opportunities for space and in areas of tourism and other forms of business ventures including energy explorations

Loss of land to investors, farmers, parks and conservancies that shrink grazing lands and block traditional migratory routes

Loss of wetlands, riverine forests – dry season refuges cultural erosion dispossession and conflict

OPPORTUNITIES

Demonstration of renewed commitment by GoK to the ASALs since 2003

I. Economic Recovery Strategy Paper 2003

II. Ministry of State for Dev’t of NK and other ALs.

III.The National policy for Sustainable Dev’t of NK and other ALs.

- Provision in this policies are consistent with the AU policy framework for Pastoralist in Africa-approved January 2011

Opportunities con’t

New Constitution (Kenya Constitution 2010)Devolution The devolution of power down from central to county governments can

potentially promote autonomy and self-determination at local community levels Equalization Funds

National Land Policy/Community land tenure System“To secure community land, the government shall: Repeal the Trust Land Act (Cap 288)” Document and map existing forms of communal land tenure and facilitate the

orderly evolution of community land law.

Bill of Rights Right to language and culture

OPPORTUNITIES Con’t

Community Empowerment Initiatives

Community driven Bio-cultural Community Protocol (BCP) initiatives that facilitate culturally rooted, participatory decision-making processes within communities to assert rights over their culturally managed lands and traditional knowledge .

Free, prior and informed consent – Participatory development/designing of community project

DIVERSE ECOLOGY

MOBILITY

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Opens up pastures, stimulates vegetation growth, contribute to seed dispersal, pasture diversity and enhance nutrient cycling through the ecosystem

Helped maintain healthy wildlife population through grazing actions

SOCIAL CHANGES

Restricted Mobility results to:- Human settlements Increased livestock concentration Environmental degradation Visible flash points Constraints movements

Causes Changing aspirations and economic needs Youth urban migration to seek formal employment or engage in new

forms of business

SHOWCASING BIOCULTURAL DIVERSITY

WAY FORWARDWAY FORWARD

“The problem of under-development in arid lands cannot be solved by the same approaches, mindset and methods that created them”

Hon Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi, Minister of State for the Development of Northern Kenya and other arid lands

BUILDING BRIDGES

END

GALATOMA!

ASANTENI!

THANK YOU!