Rangelands, Drylands & Pastoralism

Termites are a major pest in the semi-arid and sub-humid tropics. They pose a serious threat to agricultural crops, forestry seedlings, rangelands and wooden structures. In Ethiopia the problem is particularly serious in the western part of the country, specifically in Wollega Zones of Oromia Region.

Drylands are characterized by physical water scarcity, often associated with land degradation and
desertifi cation. Other factors that contribute to these problems include high population densities,
unwise agricultural practices and overgrazing. However, while desert ecosystems are fragile and

The Nile Basin Development Challenge (NBDC) program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional participatory “Research for Development” (R4D) partnership. It is aimed at improving the resilience of rural livelihoods in the Ethiopian highlands through a landscape approach to rainwater management (RWM), with a special focus on the Blue Nile (Abay) River Basin.

Agricultural expansion has eliminated a high proportion of native land cover and severely degraded remaining native vegetation. Managers must determine where degradation is severe enough to merit restoration action, and what action, if any, is necessary.

Climate-induced livelihood transitions in the agricultural systems of Africa are increasingly likely. There is limited evidence on what such transitions might look like.

2.0 RECENT EVENTS 5.0 UGANDA GAZETTES A NATIONAL LAND POLICY 6.0 PLAYING THE “CONSERVATION CARD’: THE KHWE SAN IN NAMIBIA’S BWABWATA NATIONAL PARK 7.0 SECURING LAND TITLES FOR PASTORALIST WOMEN: THE STORY OF SAKALA 8.0 PROTESTS AGAINST CONVERSION OF PASTORAL LANDS INTENSIFY IN INDIA 9.0 PASTURE PROTECTOIN IN ADILA LOCALITY, DARFUR, SUDAN 10.0 VICTORIOUS IN TANZANIA 11.0 MORE RECENT EVENTS 12.0

The ability to address land degradation and biodiversity loss while maintaining the production of plant and animal products is a key global challenge. Biodiversity decline as a result of vegetation clearance, cultivation, grazing, pesticide and herbicide application, and plantation establishment, amongst other factors, has been widely documented in agricultural ecosystems.