Rangeland Management and its contribution to sustainable ... · Rangeland Management and its...
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Rangeland Management and its contribution to sustainable development in Namibia and Africa The Status of Namibia’s Rangelands Most of Namibia’s rangelands are degraded as a result of inappropriate land management and infrastructure development. • Carrying capacity has declined to 36 % of values in 1959. • Bush encroachment leads to annual loss of income of N$1.6 billion. • The challenges are everywhere: on communal and privately owned land and national parks. Principles of Sustainable Rangeland Management (for semi-arid regions) Bunching of animals improves the nutrient and water cycles by natural fertilisation, breaking soil capping and increasing soil cover through trampling. Ensure that livestock numbers do not exceed the amount of food available and always ensure a sufficient reserve supply to cope with drought conditions. Perennial grasses need adequate recovery periods between grazing to prevent overgrazing and over-rest. What are ‘Rangelands’? “.. expansive, mostly unimproved lands on which a significant proportion of the vegetation is native grasses and shrubs. Rangelands include natural grasslands, savannas, shrublands, many deserts, tundra, alpine communities, coastal marshes, and wet meadows. Rangeland is generally arid, semi-arid, sub-humid or otherwise unsuitable for cultivation.” Aridity zones Humid Moist Subhumid Dry Subhumid Semi-Arid Arid Hyper-Arid ���� � � � � � � � � � � � Sea C o n g o ) 10°E 20°E 30°E 40°E 10°N 20°N 40°N 30°N 30° S 20° S 10°N 20°N 30°N 10° S 0° 10°E 10°W 20°W Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Red Sea Lake Chad Lake Nasser Lake Victoria Lake Tanganyika Lake Malawi Lake Turkana Equator N i l e O r a nj e Z a m b e z i N i l e N i ger Ni ger Equator 0 1 000 k m MAY 2002 DELPHINE DIGOUT Herding animals can benefit crop production... • Using mobile, temporary overnight kraals results in fields that are tilled, fertilised and mulched without mechanical means. • Mulching of crop fields with crop residue can be done more effectively as livestock do not remove residues. • Both of the above increase yields considerably by improving soil organic matter and the water cycle. • Domesticated and indigenous plants complement each other. ... as well as wildlife and tourism • Namibia’s abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery gives us a competitive advantage over most other countries. • Herding of livestock can allow wildlife, tourism and domestic stock to co-exist. • Healthy wildlife habitat improves and secures tourism enterprises. Planned grazing and herding is a cost- effective way of improving landscape production and securing local livelihoods. • The synergy of traditional knowledge and modern science leads to viable and proud rural communities who can enjoy a good quality of life; this reduces migration into urban centres. Partnerships for Sustainable Development Principle-centred approaches to national policy formation and community development practices bring together government, the private sector and communities and is gaining wide acceptance. Some of the many examples from Namibia are: • The draft National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy • The Community Based Natural Resource Management movement • The Country Pilot Partnership Programme • The Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Support Programme, especially the mentorship service Sustainable development requires competent coordination and facilitation by well trained local residents and must deal with the complexities of production, marketing and social life. Mutually supportive partnerships between producers, neighbours, male and female members of households and communities can all help to achieve this. What is Sustainable Rangeland Management? Sustainable rangeland management makes use of the beneficial actions of livestock by moving and herding them in a bunch to a fresh place every day. The animals are moved according to a grazing plan; animals come to the same area only once during the growing season and once during the non-growing season. Key outcomes During the growing season: • Perennial plants have adequate recovery periods • Over-grazing of perennial grass plants is reduced. During the non-growing or dry season: • The build up of soil cover (mulch) is improved as dead plant material is broken off and trampled into the ground. Additional advantages Planned grazing and herding results in: • Sound rangeland management • Increased productivity of vegetation due to natural fertilisation by the animals • Limited loss of livestock from theft and disease, due to daily contact with herders • Limited loss to problem animals • Increased carrying capacity (case studies from Southern Africa show a doubling, in some cases even tripling, of stocking rates over time) • Improved livelihoods • Mitigation of droughts and climate change • Increased biodiversity • Increased carbon sequestration into the soil • Synergies with wildlife and tourism enterprises. The long-term implementation of these practices has already led to improved livelihoods and quality of life on freehold farms and rural communities in various parts of southern Africa and other continents. More and more communities are beginning to recognise the importance of good management practices to increase their sustainability and self-reliance. 40°N anization (WMO), ation (W 50°E 50°E 001: Impacts, mpacts, 50°E 50°E ty, Contribution of tributio 40°N 40°N hird Assessment essmen ird As overnmental Panel ). Rangeland areas Livestock held in a mobile temporary kraal overnight prepare the ground for crops; crop yields are significantly improved through the use of good rangeland management techniques Concentrations of animals can lead to rapid and dramatic improvements in vegetation cover. These photos of a site in Zimbabwe illustrate the effects of a mobile, temporary overnight kraal which was used for several nights Having a dedicated team of herders brings many advantages Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil crust Dead plant material builds up and is incorporated into the soil through trampling Effective planning can ensure optimal use of the rangeland, and maximise benefits to the environment Digital Terrain Models are used to assist with planning
Transcript of Rangeland Management and its contribution to sustainable ... · Rangeland Management and its...
Rangeland Management and its contribution tosustainable development in Namibia and Africa
The Status of Namibia’s Rangelands
Most of Namibia’s rangelands are degraded as a result of inappropriate land management and infrastructure development.
• Carrying capacity has declined to 36 % of values in 1959.
• Bush encroachment leads to annual loss of income of N$1.6 billion.
• The challenges are everywhere: on communal and privately owned land and national parks.
Principles of Sustainable Rangeland Management (for semi-arid regions)
Bunching of animals improves the nutrient and water cycles by natural fertilisation,
breaking soil capping and increasing soil cover through trampling.
Ensure that livestock numbers do not exceed the amount of food available and always ensure a suffi cient reserve supply to cope
with drought conditions.
Perennial grasses need adequate recovery periods between grazing to prevent overgrazing and over-rest.
What are ‘Rangelands’?
“.. expansive, mostly unimproved lands on which a signifi cant proportion of the vegetation is
native grasses and shrubs. Rangelands include natural grasslands, savannas, shrublands, many
deserts, tundra, alpine communities, coastal marshes, and wet meadows. Rangeland is
generally arid, semi-arid, sub-humid or otherwise unsuitable for cultivation.”
Aridity zones
Humid
Moist Subhumid
Dry Subhumid
Semi-Arid
Arid
Hyper-Arid
����
� � � �� � � � � � �
Aridity Zones
MediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanSea
Congo)
10°E 20°E 30°E 40°E
10°N
20°N
40°N
30°N
30° S
20° S
10°N
20°N
30°N
10° S
0° 10°E10°W20°W
Atlant icOcean
IndianOcean
Red
Sea
LakeChad
LakeNasser
LakeVictor ia
LakeTanganyika
LakeMalawi
LakeTurkana
Source: World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), ClimateChange 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Equator
Ni le
Oranje
Zambezi
Ni le
NigerNiger
Equator
0 1 000 kmMAY 2002
DELPHINE DIGOUT
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�
�
��
��
��
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Herding animals can benefi t crop production...
• Using mobile, temporary overnight kraals results in fi elds that are tilled, fertilised and mulched without mechanical means.
• Mulching of crop fi elds with crop residue can be done more effectively as livestock do not remove residues.
• Both of the above increase yields considerably by improving soil organic matter and the water cycle.
• Domesticated and indigenous plants complement each other.
... as well as wildlife and tourism
• Namibia’s abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery gives us a competitive advantage over most other countries.
• Herding of livestock can allow wildlife, tourism and domestic stock to co-exist.
• Healthy wildlife habitat improves and secures tourism enterprises. Planned grazing and herding is a cost-effective way of improving landscape production and securing local livelihoods.
• The synergy of traditional knowledge and modern science leads to viable and proud rural communities who can enjoy a good quality of life; this reduces migration into urban centres.
Partnerships for Sustainable Development
Principle-centred approaches to national policy formation and community development practices bring together government, the private sector and communities and is gaining wide acceptance.
Some of the many examples from Namibia are:
• The draft National Rangeland Management Policy and Strategy
• The Community Based Natural Resource Management movement
• The Country Pilot Partnership Programme
• The Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Support Programme, especially the mentorship service
Sustainable development requires competent coordination and facilitation by well trained local residents and must deal with the complexities of production, marketing and social life. Mutually supportive partnerships between producers, neighbours, male and female members of households and communities can all help to achieve this.
What is Sustainable Rangeland Management?
Sustainable rangeland management makes use of the benefi cial actions of livestock by moving and herding them in a bunch to a fresh place every day. The animals are moved according to a grazing plan; animals come to the same area only once during the growing season and once during the non-growing season.
Key outcomes
During the growing season:
• Perennial plants have adequate recovery periods
• Over-grazing of perennial grass plants is reduced.
During the non-growing or dry season:
• The build up of soil cover (mulch) is improved as dead plant material is broken off and trampled into the ground.
Additional advantages
Planned grazing and herding results in:
• Sound rangeland management
• Increased productivity of vegetation due to natural fertilisation by the animals
• Limited loss of livestock from theft and disease, due to daily contact with herders
• Limited loss to problem animals
• Increased carrying capacity (case studies from Southern Africa show a doubling, in some cases even tripling, of stocking rates over time)
• Improved livelihoods
• Mitigation of droughts and climate change
• Increased biodiversity
• Increased carbon sequestration into the soil
• Synergies with wildlife and tourism enterprises.
The long-term implementation of these practices has already led to improved livelihoods and quality of life on freehold farms and rural
communities in various parts of southern Africa and other continents.
More and more communities are beginning to recognise the importance of good management practices to increase their
sustainability and self-reliance.
40°N50°EWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 50°EWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO), 50°E
UNEP, Climate Change 2001: Impacts, UNEP, Climate Change 2001: Impacts, 50°E
UNEP, Climate Change 2001: Impacts, 50°E
Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of Adaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of 40°NAdaptation and Vulnerability, Contribution of 40°N
Working Group II to the Third Assessment Working Group II to the Third Assessment Working Group II to the Third Assessment Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Rangeland areas
Livestock held in a mobile temporary kraal overnight prepare the ground for crops; crop yields are signifi cantly improved through the use of good rangeland management techniques
Livestock held in a mobile temporary kraal overnight prepare the
Concentrations of animals can lead to rapid and dramatic improvements in vegetation cover. These photos of a site in Zimbabwe illustrate the effects of a mobile, temporary overnight kraal which was used for several nights
Having a dedicated team of herders brings many advantages
Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil crust
Dead plant material builds up and is incorporated into the soil through trampling
Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil Trampling by animals breaks the hard soil Effective planning can ensure optimal use of the rangeland, and maximise benefi ts to the environment
Digital Terrain Models are used to assist with planning
