Historical perspectives on pastoralism and land tenure transformation in Ngamiland, Botswana: What are the policy and institutional lessons?

Pastoral societies in dryland Africa continue to face changes to their pastoral systems. These systems are influenced by a range of historical factors but little use is made of this information to design policies that suit pastoralists’ landscapes. This article provides a synthesis of historical perspectives on pastoral land use and tenure transformations in Ngamiland, south of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Little documentation of herders’ historical perspectives exists and less is known about how past experiences can be applied to sustainable pastoralism policies. In this article, current land use pressing issues are examined and analysed within the context of past experiences. We use a series of oral histories with key informants, focus group discussions, expert interviews and rangelands field observations. Ngamiland historical perspectives depict a pastoral landscape that has been shaped by a variety of factors; livestock diseases, Human-wildlife-conflicts, droughts, land tenure transformations associated with rangeland policies and the pastoral identity of the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu ethnic groups. Pastoralists have followed unique trajectories, specific to their rangeland conditions and socio-cultural context. Resilience to climate shocks and diseases has been weakened by inequitable patterns of control over rangeland resources. We recommend institutional diversity such that from experiences of the past, lessons can be drawn of the sort of processes and institutions required for pastoralism policies including targeted pastoralists’ adaptations. Using pastoralists to provide information, especially in the area of indigenous knowledge, strategies can be developed to link conservation of wildlife and rangelands with pastoral production by developing ecologically-sensitive low-volume tourism that pastoral communities can tap in to diversify their livelihoods

Using Participatory Mapping and a Participatory Geographic Information System in Pastoral Land Use Investigation: Impacts of Rangeland Policy in Botswana

Since the 1980s, the spatial extent of communal grazing lands in Botswana has been diminishing due to rangeland privatisation and fencing associated with animal health policies. Spatial comparisons of pastoral land use transformations are particularly important where accessibility to grazing and water resources remains at the core of sustainable pastoralism policies. Achieving success in pastoral development research requires a sound understanding of traditional pastoralists’ information systems, including the nature of local spatial knowledge. This study explores local spatial knowledge through participatory mapping and a Participatory Geographic Information System to understand and analyse pastoralists’ grazing patterns, spatial mobility and the impacts of subdivisions and privatisation policies in Botswana’s Ngamiland rangelands. The study uses focus group discussions, historical analysis through key informant interviews, and participatory mapping exercises along with community guided transect walks. The resulting maps provide insights into the traditional tenure patterns of land use and the impacts of rangeland policy on traditional livestock spatial mobility and access to grazing lands. Privatisation and rangeland enclosures have resulted in the restricted movement of livestock and overstocking of floodplains and riparian rangelands, with some natural water pans becoming inaccessible to local communities. We conclude that the integration of local spatial knowledge can be used to foster better articulation and understanding of pastoralists’ tenures, which are often lacking in communal land administration systems. Such integrated analysis can contribute to sustainable pastoral land management policy toolkits in semi-arid rangeland environments and enable better land tenure and management decision making for sustainable land management

Adaptation strategies to environmental and policy change in semi-arid pastoral landscapes: evidence from Ngamiland, Botswana

Semi-arid rangeland pastoral areas have been affected by diverse pressures; livestock diseases, human-wildlife conflicts, droughts and resource scarcity as a result of fragmented landscapes that constrain pastoral livelihoods. In Botswana, pastoralists' adaptations remain insufficiently documented. Adaptation strategies are responses to livelihood constraints and if mainstreamed into development programmes can counter negative impacts arising from ecosystem deterioration. Using iterative participatory rural appraisal methods, this study examines adaptation strategies that pastoral societies in Ngamiland, Botswana have used to cope with pressures in their pastoral socio-ecological system. Findings show a move towards mixed and spatially varied livelihood strategies. Mixed agro-pastoral farming, intensification of flood recession farming, fishing and a network of self-help groups have developed over the last few decades of significant policy and environmental change. Pastoralists have become more sedentary with increases in petty trade and higher dependency on social welfare programmes. As the ability to adapt has positive attributes for livelihood sustainability and resilience, there is a need for practical initiatives that improve pastoralists' adaptive capacity, such as reforming pastoralists' institutions and expanding infrastructural development in pastoral areas so as to enable access to markets. These also include the need to share insights more widely across the district, nationally and regionally