Download Learning Brief 1 (CARE International in Ethiopia)

PRIME Learning Brief: Participatory Rangeland Management for improved
livelihoods and resilience in Ethiopia’s pastoral regions
March 2015
Introduction
The rangeland is the basis for pastoral livelihoods, providing water and fodder for livestock. Traditional
systems of rangeland management ensured sustainable management of this critical resource, enabling
livestock herders to manage seasonal changes, variability and extremes. However, over time the
effectiveness of these systems has declined, due to challenges in the systems themselves, as well as
increasing rainfall variability, growing competition over resources and limitations on pastoral mobility.
To address this, the Pastoral Resilience Improvement & Market Expansion (PRIME) project is piloting the
use of Participatory Rangeland Management (PRM), a landscape-based approach to natural resource
management for enhancing pastoralists' governance systems for rangeland management. This learning
brief aims to share PRIME’s early experiences with PRM, identifying key learning points and
recommendations for taking the process forward. It is part of a series of briefs developed by CARE
Ethiopia to share the project’s experience with innovative approaches that aim to build resilience and
enable adaptation to climate change. The briefs are designed for practitioners working in pastoral
regions of Ethiopia and in other pastoral contexts, as well as donors and government decision-makers
with an interest in climate change, livelihoods and resilience programming.
The Participatory Rangeland Management Process
This section provides an overview of the PRM process, including the general process and how PRIME is
applying it.
Background on the PRM process
The PRM process is applied at the level of a rangeland unit, which typically consists of …. It involves
three key stages:
- Investigating: The first stage involves a process of gathering information about the resources found
in the rangeland, how and when they are used and the stakeholders in their management.
- Negotiating: In the negotiation stage, the most appropriate institution to lead management of the
rangeland unit is identified. In the Ethiopian context, this is usually an existing customary institution.
A participatory rangeland resource assessment is conducted and different stakeholders come
together to agree on how resources within the rangeland unit will be managed. This leads to the
development of a rangeland management plan, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the
rangeland management institution, the current state of rangeland resources, management actions to
be taken and the process for monitoring & evaluating implementation of the plan. This plan forms
the basis for a rangeland management agreement, which is signed by the appropriate local
government unit and formally recognizes the role of the rangeland management institution in leading
implementation and adaptive management of the plan.
- Implementing: In the final stage, the rangeland management institution collaborates with relevant
local government bodies and other stakeholders to implement the plan. Regular monitoring and
evaluation are conducted to assess progress and inform adaptive management of the plan.
The outcome of the PRM process is better coordination and collaboration among stakeholders,
ultimately leading to more equitable and sustainable management of the rangeland.1
PRIME’s PRM approach
Using the PRM framework described above, PRIME has developed a ten-step PRM process, which
involves:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Identifying key rangeland resources, users and management institutions
Participatory mapping and institutional analysis
Map digitization and verification
Institutional strengthening
Rangeland management planning and by-law development
Legitimizing management plans and by-laws with stakeholders
Formalization/legalization of community rangeland management agreements
Building capacity for implementation of the management plan and enforcement of by-laws
Continuous support for implementation of the management plan and strengthening of the
governance system
10. Monitoring & evaluation and adaptive management of the management system
The key features of the approach are:
- It focuses on rangeland units as defined by communities based on ecology, traditional use and
management, rather than on land units defined by geo-political boundaries.
- It brings together multiple stakeholders from communities, government and the private sector in a
process of dialogue, negotiation and collaborative action.
- It values and strengthens customary institutions as key actors in the PRM process.
- It recognizes and accommodates mobility as a key characteristic of pastoral life.
- It results in a formalized rangeland management agreement, which will endure beyond the life of a
particular project or program.
This process is currently being implemented in 24 rangeland systems, representing 8.8 million hectares
of land across Afar, Somali and Oromiya regions. The following section focuses on the achievements and
lessons learned from Afar Region.
PRM in Afar Region: Learning to Date
Healthy ecosystems are the foundation for sustainable livelihoods. Degradation of the rangeland has
undermined resilience of pastoral communities in Afar, reducing their access to water and fodder,
affecting livestock and forcing them to travel further in search of resources. This has consequences for
1
Save the Children, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian
Aid (ECHO) (2010). Introductory Guidelines to Participatory Rangeland Management in Pastoral Areas. Compiled by Fiona
Flintan and Adrian Cullis, with assistance from Members of the Natural Resource Management Technical Working Group,
Ethiopia. Retrieved from
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/drought/docs/Guidelines%20to%20participatory%20rangeland%20management.pd
f
personal safety, access to services (including education for children) and food and income security. With
increasing exposure to risks and uncertainty resulting from climate change, the sustainable management
of natural resources becomes even more essential. Although still in its early stages, the PRM process is
establishing the systems, structures and capacities required to protect and rehabilitate rangelands, an
essential building block for climate resilience and adaptation.
PRIME is facilitating PRM in three rangeland systems in Afar: Gewane-Gelealo, Awash-Fentale and
Amibara. In each of these systems, mapping of the resources in the rangeland has been completed. This
involved a participatory mapping process, followed by digitization of the maps using GIS. The digitized
maps were then verified by communities to ensure that it is representative of their local knowledge.
These maps provide a basis for planning of rangeland management activities. An example of a rangeland
map is presented below. The process of mapping has proven valuable as a first step in bringing
stakeholders together in dialogue, before moving on to the potentially more contentious negotiation
stage.
INSERT DIGITIZED MAP OF ONE OF THE AFAR RANGELAND SYSTEMS?
Institutional strengthening for the Rangeland Councils is a key priority for PRIME. While these
committees were in existence before the project, they were not functioning effectively and in some
cases were not viewed by other stakeholders as able to provide the necessary leadership on rangeland
management issues. The project has re-invigorated the Rangeland Councils, providing training and
technical assistance, facilitating reorganization to ensure that they are more representative of
communities and that women are involved and supporting ongoing dialogue and collaboration. The
importance of these bodies cannot be over-stated – their capacity and legitimacy is a critical factor for
the effectiveness and sustainability of PRM.
Prosopis Clearing in the Gewane-Gelealo Rangeland System
The Rangeland Council for the Gewane-Gelealo Rangeland System is made up of community representatives and
Clan Leaders from all communities using the rangeland, including 6 women. The Clan Leaders play a key role in
facilitating dialogue among community members, as well as in making decisions and mobilizing action around
rangeland management. Following the mapping process, the most pressing concern emerging from discussions
with the council members was the encroachment of prosopis in what was historically one of the most important
grazing lands for the surrounding communities. This invasive species of thorny bushes was covering the land
and choking out all of the other vegetation, reducing availability of fodder and making movement on the
rangeland difficult due to the dense thorns and to increased encounters with wildlife. The communities were
forced to travel further from their home base to access fodder, which at times created conflict with other clans.
With support from PRIME, the rangeland council organized clearing of prosopis from 55 hectares of the
rangeland. After just one year, the community members describe positive results in terms of regeneration of
indigenous vegetation, improved body condition and milk production of cattle and less injuries of people and
livestock from the thorns. The rangeland council feels empowered by this experience and plan further actions,
including shifting grazing and enclosures, to support further regeneration and sustainable management of the
land.
Members of the Gewane-Galaelo Rangeland Council in front of the CARE office in Gewane
Recommendations for Taking PRM Forward
The early experiences with PRM in Afar demonstrate the value of this process. The following
recommendations are proposed for taking it forward:
- Balance support for concrete rangeland management actions with efforts to establish and formalize
rangeland management agreements to ensure that the legal framework is in place for PRM over the
longer term.
- Continue institutional capacity building efforts for Rangeland Councils, including training, learning
exchanges with councils in other areas and monitoring, evaluation and reflection processes to
promote continuous learning and improvement.
- Improve collaboration with local government structures to secure their support for community-level
actions and commitment to the process into the future.
- Use Rangeland Councils as a platform for climate change awareness raising, to build further
motivation for rangeland management efforts and promote adaptive decision-making.
The PRIME project aims to increase household incomes and resilience to climate change in the Afar, Somali and Oromia
regions of Ethiopia. It is implemented by a consortium where CARE International in Ethiopia is the lead agency for the
climate change and NRM component of the program.
This brief was written by Angie Dazé, with inputs from the PRIME team. The authors are grateful to the Rangeland
Management Council in Gewane-Galaelo for their contributions to the content of the brief.