Traditional Rangeland Management...

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Traditional Rangeland Management Practices Goal: Elaboration of ownership and accountability measures in support of the ecological sustainability and livelihoods protection of rangelands in the WANA region. Duration: 7 months (June 2015 – December 2015) Situation Analysis: The West Asia and North Africa region has faced increasing environmental stress over the past centuries. Such challenges are escalating and now threaten human security in the region. Worsening water scarcity and land degradation are among the most dangerous of these challenges. The supply of freshwater in the WANA region is less than 1000 cubic meters per capita, compared to a global average of 7000 cubic meters 1 , and is expected to fall. Drivers include increasing demand and the influence of climate variability. At the same time, unsustainable agriculture activities and pasture practices, as well as insecure land tenure and limited community participation in environmental activities, are resulting in greater land degradation. The most tangible examples of land degradation include soil erosion, deforestation, desertification and decrease of land productivity. Agriculture and pastoralism have supported community livelihoods in the West Asia and North Africa region since its early civilisation. At this time, communities were highly aware of the importance of protecting and sustaining their lands. They defined the relationship with their land by establishing rules, distributing responsibilities and restraints as well as determining land access rights, mainly on customary bases and traditional knowledge. Even though these rangeland management practices are still in place in several communities in the WANA region, nowadays they have been abandoned by a significant number of communities and governmental systems, in favour of modern techniques. It is worth noting that, where Majlis el Hassan | Amman, Jordan +962 6 464 9185 [email protected] www.wanainstitute.org Comparative mapping of governance of land tenure good practices in the WANA region. 1 FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 2007. AQUASTAT. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm.

Transcript of Traditional Rangeland Management...

Page 1: Traditional Rangeland Management Practiceswanainstitute.org/sites/default/files/projects/2Page...Traditional Rangeland Management Practices Goal: Elaboration of ownership and accountability

Traditional Rangeland Management Practices Goal: Elaboration of ownership and accountability measures in support of the ecological sustainability and livelihoods protection of rangelands in the WANA region.

Duration: 7 months (June 2015 – December 2015)

Situation Analysis: The West Asia and North Africa region has faced increasing environmental stress over the past centuries. Such challenges are escalating and now threaten human security in the region. Worsening water scarcity and land degradation are among the most dangerous of these challenges. The supply of freshwater in the WANA region is less than 1000 cubic meters per capita, compared to a global average of 7000 cubic meters1, and is expected to fall. Drivers include increasing demand and the influence of climate variability. At the same time, unsustainable agriculture activities and pasture practices, as well as insecure land tenure and limited community participation in environmental activities,

are resulting in greater land degradation. The most tangible examples of land degradation include soil erosion, deforestation, desertification and decrease of land productivity.

Agriculture and pastoralism have supported community livelihoods in the West Asia and North Africa region since its early civilisation. At this time, communities were highly aware of the importance of protecting and sustaining their lands. They defined the relationship with their land by establishing rules, distributing responsibilities and restraints as well as determining land access rights, mainly on customary bases and traditional knowledge. Even though these rangeland management practices are still in place in several communities in the WANA region, nowadays they have been abandoned by a significant number of communities and governmental systems, in favour of modern techniques. It is worth noting that, where

Majlis el Hassan | Amman, Jordan+962 6 464 [email protected]

Comparative mapping of governance of land tenure good practices in the WANA region.

1 FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 2007. AQUASTAT. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/main/index.stm.

Page 2: Traditional Rangeland Management Practiceswanainstitute.org/sites/default/files/projects/2Page...Traditional Rangeland Management Practices Goal: Elaboration of ownership and accountability

Project Outline

present, such traditional practices have a positive impact on land sustainability, by improving biodiversity and ecosystem stability, as well as the livelihood of communities. Reviving these traditional knowledge and practices is essential for securing livelihoods of local communities but a challenging process in terms of local community engagement. Recently a number of organisations have started promoting several ‘knowledge-revival’ initiatives in different areas of the WANA region. Examples include the revival of traditional rangeland practices such as Al-Hima in Jordan and Lebanon and Agdal in Morocco. Few efforts, however, have been made to compare and contrast such initiatives, nor to gauge their impact or the possibility for adaptation in other areas. In response, this project aims to map best land tenure practices in the WANA region. The research will specifically focus on accountability and ownership of drylands, at the local level, as a pre-condition for governance.

The ultimate objective of land development of rangelands is to be sustainable and to preserve the interest of future generations. A strong land tenure system, determining which resources can be used

by whom, for how long, and under what conditions is needed to achieve such development.

Ownership is not necessarily ownership over the land use resource itself but it is the right of access and making use of resources. This can assume a sense of taking responsibility of one’s own behavior, at the same time being able to account for the effects of such behavior to others (Accountability). Such sense will only happen if they have concrete benefits of such use, if they have the confidence that they have the necessary management knowledge, finally, if they exercise sufficient influence to secure such benefits, rights and knowledge (Laban, 2007, Laban et al, 2009)2.

If tenure rights are ensured this enables people to assume accountability for the use of resources, which will result in a healthy environment (sustaining resources and reducing land degradation). This will directly affect agricultural and pastoral activities that in turn will affect the livelihood of communities.

The study will map different models implemented in Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon and Oman. Each present a different style of community engagement. Specific indicators will be determined with stakeholders to assess what extent the preconditions are met to fulfill the accountability of natural resource governance on the local level.

Activities Objectives Indicators• Convene multistakeholder fora at expert

level (as appropriate) to validate approach, and project theory.

• Country-traditional rangeland managment literature review and field research.

• Defining pre-conditions for local level accountability in rangeland resources management using IUCN governance framework.

• Identifying Criteria/Indicators for assessing pre-conditions.

• Analysis of findings and agreement on conclusions and recommendations

• Publication of results and map of best practices for land tenure and traditional rangeland goveranance in WANA region.

• Accountability and ownership of drylands resources assessed at the local level through multistakeholder consultations and application of particpatory governance assessment tools.

• Traditional rangeland governance models mapped for four different countries in the WANA region to understand how land tenure systems effectively improve healthy rangelands.

• Analytical report or policy brief based on the nexus assessment between land tenure and local level accountability for healthy traditional rangelands management.

• Map produced for traditional rangeland managemend practices and land tenure systems in WANA region,

• Enhanced stakeholders’ understanding and consensus on land tenure and accountability of traditional rangeland management in each country included.

• Information and knowledge acquired shared and communicated at WANA level.

2 The Badia Research Programme - The National Centre for Research and Development, “Securing rights and Restoring Range Lands for Improved Livelihoods in the Badia of the Zarqa River Basin – Jordan”, Base line study (November 2011)