Water Development Strategy as a Driving Force for Sustained Rangeland Management by Local Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| |
Authors: | Etienne Tedonkeng Pamo |
| |
Institution: | (1) FASA, Department of Animal Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon |
| |
Abstract: | Water is the major food component for the maintenance of animals. Although Africa is endowed with diverse agricultural environments,
the survival of animals in Sahelian and sub-Sahelian Africa is threatened by the lack of water. Animals need water as an essential
nutrient, a component of the body, and for conductive or evaporative cooling. Water needs are met mainly through drinking
free water and to a lesser extent by utilising water that forms part of the feed. However during the long dry season, surface
water resources dwindle and the water content of available forage decreases, thereby increasing the animals’ demand for water.
Consequently animals have to walk for long distances to obtain adequate forage and water, which in turn raises the demand
for these resources. Water can be used to direct and regulate rangeland management in this open access environment, to maintain
range resources and to improve their quality. Water development, which takes into consideration usable forage, despite some
intra- or inter-annual variability, plays an important role and its spatial distribution will affect the grazing intensity
of forage resources. Sound water development and management strategies integrating local communities in the decision-making
will set up a firm basis for sustained range management in the free and open access environment of sub-Saharan Africa where
lack of financial input, social and cultural habits and above all the environmental condition do not permit large scale fencing
as in other parts of the world. |
| |
Keywords: | domestic ruminant sub-Saharan Africa sustained rangeland management water development water requirement |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|