EAC MEETING ON PASTORALISM AND DRYLANDS

EAC MEETING ON PASTORALIM.

East African community together with African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) began three days meeting which takes place at Naura Springs Hotel in Arusha.

The meeting on pastoralism and dry lands started on 13^th February 2012 clasps member states, regional economic communities, pastoral associations, the UN Agencies and Development Partners.

Throughout the opening route the EAC speaker on behalf of the Secretary General Mr. Moses Marwa said that; the EAC region is frequently affected by severe food shortages and incidences of famine and hunger especially in the dry lands due to many factors including inadequate food supply chains leading to poor distribution of food surpluses to those experiencing scarcity as a result of climate change and other factors such as poor transport infrastrastructure and trade barriers.

Moreover the adverse impacts of climate change. They are observed inform of increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and flooding that is a huge threat to the socio-economic well being of the community more so for pastoralists in dry lands. These impacts cut across almost all sectors of the economy including agriculture and food security which is one of the most adversely affected sectors hence the need for mult-sectoral approaches in responding to the diverse impacts of climate change in the critical sector that is a mainstay of the regional economy.

However, the EAC region has potential and capacity to produce enough food to meet the region’s demand and procedure surplus for export to the world market.

Approximately fifty percent 50% of the total EAC area is noted as dry lands. Pastoralists make a significant contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) whereby in many East African countries around 10% it provides moist of the meat consumed in the EAC partner states and provides livelihoods for tens of millions of people. Pastoralists are custodians of the dry lands environments providing services through good rangeland management including biodiversity conservation and wildlife tourism.

In delivering presentations which include back ground paper, policy framework, empowerment and the best practices Dr. Simplice Novala (AU representative) said that; members discuss policies, legal and institutional frameworks which are core pillars of any conservation, food production, natural resource management as well as development work at all societal levels. They define the relationships between people and resources and guide the interactions that ensure relationships for sustainability, growth and harmonious coexistence. Policies which determine the direction and the priority areas in the country’s economic investment plan as well as governance processes. They also provide a framework upon which key decisions are made, strategies are developed and resources are allocated.

African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Director Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy said that; the workshop on pastoral investment opportunities, rangelands, fodder crop development and natural resources management in the dry lands of Africa is important in a sense that through the matters discussed contribute much to the regional pastoralism and agriculture which are the backbone of its economy. 

AU-IBAR is a specialized technical office of the African Union Commission(AUC), created a little over 60 years ago with a mandate to radiate rinderpest, over the years that mandate has expanded to supporting and coordinating the utilization of animal(livestock, fisheries and wildlife)for wellbeing of the people and for the economic development of the countries.

Dry lands in Africa have been undergoing change, although different communities in this area (pastoralists in particular) have always lived with change, the current pace and scale of change is unprecedented. Changes in land use and productivity, population, water resources and climate among others have occurred and will continue to do so. There are direct drivers to this change, which include biophysical and socio-economic development, they caught up in a spiral of deforestation, fragmentation and desertification.

AU-IBAR has stepped an extra miles away as it managed to commission various studies to look in to the factors affecting the development of dry lands in Africa with particular reference to animal resources in these areas. One of the studies which looked at options for improving livelihoods in pastoral systems and the critical factors which could contribute to development and empowerment of communities while two others have documented the best practices and lessons learnt from past interventions in the dry lands with specific focus of range management and fodder crop development, as well as the wildlife interface management. The studies which are on the AU IBAR strategic plan of 2010-2014 conducted as part of the implementation of the pastoral policy framework of the African Union which endorsed by the heads of states and Governments in 2011.

The all through meeting will reach its climax on Wednesday 15th 2012.

By Reginald A. Mtui.