Adaptation Strategies of Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Communities in Ethiopia and Mali

More than 1 billion people are currently undernourished, mostly in the developing world (FAO, 2009a). In Africa, more than 218 million people, or around 30 per cent of the total population, are estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition (FAO, 2009b). Given current trends, governments are unlikely to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger in Africa by 2015 (MDG 1c). A large proportion of those suffering from hunger and malnutrition depend on agriculture and livestock production for their livelihoods, which makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Agriculture and food security are back on the political agenda. Donors are recognising the links between agriculture, food security and climate change. Developing countries face the challenge of investing more in agriculture and ensuring food security for growing populations, securing additional funding to adapt, strengthening the resilience of their food production systems to climate variability and change, whilst also reducing emissions from agriculture. These tasks are particularly challenging in a dryland context such as the Sahel region of West Africa and in the Horn of Africa, where repeated droughts have already severely impacted people’s livelihoods.

Pastoral and agro-pastoral people in these regions are considered particularly vulnerable to climate change since their livelihoods depend on resources that are highly sensitive to fluctuations in rainfall. These populations have shown considerable capacity to adapt to climate shifts in the past, but there are concerns whether they will be able to adapt to future changes, let alone continue to cope with already occurring variability and uncertainty. Their ability to adapt will depend on the severity of future climate shocks and stressors, as well as their access to the resources they need to live through lean seasons and ‘bad’ years.

This report explores the implications of climate change for pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in Ethiopia and Mali. The two case studies are based on fieldwork between May and October 2009 in the Borana zone of Ethiopia and in Gao and Mopti regions of Mali. Both areas have undergone considerable climatic shifts in the recent decades, and climate change projections suggest there will be further significant changes in the future. At the same time, there are multiple pressures that are undermining people’s options and ability to respond to these changes in ways that strengthen their livelihoods and well-being.

The focus of the report is local perceptions of changes in climate shocks and stressors. It examines how people respond to these changes, and what constraints they face. Examining local perceptions and responses to change is important because these can help to identify more precisely what support people require to strengthen their climate resilience. It will also help identify specific constraints that different actors and groups face, and also uncover a more holistic understanding of adaptation in relation to particular socio-economic, political or historical contexts. Drawing on local perceptions, policy makers will be better informed of the impacts of climate change as they are felt on the ground, the challenges and opportunities that people face in adjusting their livelihoods, and what further assistance should be provided.