The IBLI program expanded to southern Ethiopia in February 2012 and will initially target 2,700 pastoralists there who are also experiencing severe drought. Photo by Peter Little.

In January 2010, John McPeak, Associate Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Public Administration and International Affairs at Syracuse University of  and leader of the LCC CRSP’s RIVERS and MLPI-2 projects, helped to launch the first-ever Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) scheme in Kenya. Facing extreme drought conditions, livestock keepers may soon receive their first payments, reports SciDev Net. read more »

Calm amid the crisis: Despite drought, herders and their animals from Somalia and Kenya converge on an Ethiopian watering hole in a systematic order. Photo by Peter Little.

By Carol Clark, Emory University

Emory anthropologist Peter Little was in southern Ethiopia last February, during the height of a major drought that continues to scorch the Horn of Africa. He is researching how climate change is affecting livestock herders in the region [with the Livestock-Climate Change CRSP CHAINS project]. During the past year, drought has killed about 20 percent of the cattle, or about 225,000 animals, within Ethiopia’s Borana pastoralist community.

At a watering hole, Little watched herders bring their animals in from northeastern Kenya and Somalia, where the effects of the drought are compounded by armed conflict. “I was amazed by the skill and discipline of these herders,” Little says. “They got thousands of thirsty animals to line up like schoolchildren. Some of the camels hadn’t had water for seven days.”

First the herders themselves approached the water’s edge with buckets and canteens. Then the goats were sent in an orderly procession to drink, followed by the cattle, and finally the camels.

“We could learn a lot from African pastoralists about how to collectively manage resources,” Little says. He contrasts their cooperative use of extremely limited water supplies to the inter-state battles fought over Atlanta’s Lake Lanier reservoir, and the ever-shrinking Colorado River.

Read more at www.emory/esciencecommons.edu

Related Story: Peter Little, CHAINS Project Leader, on the Drought in the Horn of Africa

Risk and Social Change in an African Rural Economy is the title of a new book by Livestock-Climate Change CRSP research partners John McPeak and Peter Little.   The book summarizes the results of a multi-year interdisciplinary research project in pastoral areas of Kenya and Ethiopia. The authors describe the ecology and social context in which pastoralism takes place, with a particular focus on the risks that confront people living in these drylands, and how these risks are often triggered by highly variable rainfall conditions, a symptom of climate change.

The authors go on to describe the livelihood strategies employed by pastoralists in these areas, with a focus on how well-being is tied to access to livestock and the cash economy. They conclude that the future development activities need to be built on the foundation of the livestock economy, instead of seeking to replace it.

John McPeak is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Public Administration in the Maxwell School of Syracuse University; he is a member of the LCC CRSP’s MLPI-2 project in Mali and leads the RIVERS project in Senegal.  Peter D. Little is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Program in Development Studies at Emory University; he leads the LCC CRSP CHAINS project, which takes place in Ethiopia and Kenya. Cheryl R. Doss, also a co-author, is Senior Lecturer in Global Affairs and Economics and the Director of Graduate Studies for the MA program in International Relations at Yale University.

Risk and Social Change in an African Rural Economy is available from Routledge.

Mekonnen Adnwe Degefu, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), “ Impacts of climate change on water resources and the implications for adaptation practices in the Omo-Ghibe Basin, Southwest Ethiopia.”

For his dissertation, Mekonnen will analyze rainfall trends. He is interested in the implications of variable rainfall on water resources. Ultimaltly, he would like to provide better, more reliable weather forcasting to help pastoralists adapt.

Mekonnen was born in Ethiopia’s Shirka district and was raised by his grandparents, farmers who raised both crops and livestock. For his LCC CRSP Fellowship, Mekonnen will research the impacts of climate variability and change on the hydrology of the Omo-Ghibe River basin with the goal of understanding the impacts of water stress on pastoral communities and how these communities adapt to water stress. This topic was particularly important to Mekonnen because, he contends, “Climate change has now become a major environmental challenge in Africa. Ethiopia, in particular, is frequently affected by drought, and recently by floods. This problem is growing, particularly in the pastoral areas of the south Omo which is marginalized in all social, political, and economic aspects. Despite this, there is not much known regarding the impact of climate change and adaptation practices in the region.” After completing his degree, Mekonnen wants to pass on this knowledge as a university professor, “It is my plan to share this knowledge on climate change and adaptation research with students and other interested groups.”

Melaku Berhe Redda, Mekelle University (Ethiopia), “The impact of livestock adaptation to climate change on the incomes of cattle producers in the drylands of northern Ethiopia, Tigray.”

Melaju's research will take place in the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia, where he was raised.

Melaku grew up in the small, rural Alaje district of northern Ethiopia. He still has fond memories of school, tending his father’s oxen and cattle, and fetching firewood from the forests. “Still I love the lifestyle of my parents in the rural area, although it lacked infrastructure and other facilities,” he says. Those childhood experiences left a lasting impression, one that has inspired him to pursue a graduate degree. “My father, along with other farmers of the district, put their maximum efforts into keeping their animals alive and productive. Those farmers used different coping mechanisms in response to the dry seasons and drought they continuously faced. Such practices have impressed me to formally investigate all of the indigenous coping methods and to supplement these with modern coping mechanisms.” says Melaku. Melaku will be investigating the links between climate change adaptations and incomes to determine which have the greatest potential for improving the livelihoods of pastoral cattle farmers like his father. Further, he will explore how to improve manure management through adoption of household biogas production technology.

The Livestock-Climate Change CRSP has selected four men and two women, all Ph.D. candidates, as the first cohort of International Graduate Student Fellows. The fellows hail from East and West Africa where the LCC CRSP’s work is focused, representing the countries of Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa, and Mali in West Africa. The International Fellowship in Graduate Research is intended to provide opportunities for graduate education that prepare students for interdisciplinary careers within the vision and objectives of the Livestock Climate-Change CRSP. The Fellowship program will provide three years of support for these students, with annual renewal based on a positive review of progress, continued applicability to the Livestock-Climate Change CRSP research goals, continued funding availability, and a high level of academic performance.

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Data on factors that affect a region’s vulnerability to climate change (poverty, hunger, agricultural resource, etc.) are often dispersed and difficult to find. To aid researchers who study livestock systems and climate change, we have gathered the latest maps and datasets on factors such as poverty, hunger, and land use for seven countries: Nepal, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Senegal, Mali, Ethiopia, and Kenya. This collection is far from comprehensive; however, a search is conducted every month to update the collection with new material.

Access maps & datasets

The Livestock-Climate Change CRSPs latest program brief, “Livestock, Climate Change, and Nutrition: Leveraging Livestock to Improve Livelihoods,” describes how livestock research in West Africa, East Africa, and Central Asia is contributing to improving nutrition and health for families and communities.

This week, the Livestock-Climate Change CRSP released “Livestock, Climate Change, and Nutrition: Leveraging Livestock to Improve Livelihoods.” The publication was authored by Sarah Lupis, Shana Gillette, and Jessica Davis of the Livestock-Climate Change CRSP along with Michael Lacy from the University of Georgia and Sarah McKune from the University of Florida. read more »

The Adapting Livestock Systems to Climate Change Collaborative Research Support Program at Colorado State University has awarded a total of $720,000 to nine U.S. universities and their host-country partners in east Africa, west Africa and central Asia to improve the livelihoods of small-scale livestock producers. Two of the awards were given to researchers at Colorado State University.

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Tunsisa Hurisso, a graduate student in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University, proposes to study making phosphorus fertilizer from animal bones.

The Adapting Livestock Systems to Climate Change Collaborative Research Support Program Colorado State University  has awarded its first fellowship to a Colorado State University graduate student, Tunsisa Hurisso.  The fellowship is designed to help prepare graduate students for interdisciplinary international careers. read more »