scholarly journals Weather and resource information as tools for dealing with farmer–pastoralist conflicts in the Sahel

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 969-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Mertz ◽  
Kjeld Rasmussen ◽  
Laura Vang Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Resource Information ◽  
Key Stakeholders

Abstract. Conflicts between pastoralists and farmers in the Sahel mainly arise from competition over land and water resources or because of livestock damage to crops. Rather than being linked to larger environmental change processes such as climate change, conflicts are often caused by inappropriate zoning of land, governance and unequal power relations between stakeholders. However, conflicts may be affected by more short-term weather and resource information that guide mobility of pastoralists. In this paper, we therefore explore if improved weather and resource information and improvement in its communication could prevent conflicts or reduce their severity. Based on a survey of key stakeholders involved in dissemination of weather and resource information and studies on pastoral access to and use of information, we conclude that improved information may both reduce and increase the level of conflict, depending on the context. Communication of information will need to go beyond just the weather and resource information and also include the multiple options for herd movements as well as providing information on herd crowding and potential conflict areas.

scholarly journals Climate and resource information as tools for dealing with farmer-pastoralist conflicts in the Sahel

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Mertz ◽  
Kjeld Rasmussen ◽  
Laura Vang Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Resource Information ◽  
Key Stakeholders

Abstract. Conflicts between pastoralists and farmers in the Sahel arise from competition over land and water resources or because of livestock damages to crops. Rather than being linked to larger environmental change processes such as climate change, they are often causes by inappropriate zoning of land, governance and unequal power relations between stakeholders in the conflicts. In this paper, we explore whether improved weather and resource information and improvement in its communication could prevent conflicts or reduce their severity. Based on a survey of key stakeholders and studies on pastoral access to and use of information, we conclude that improved information may both reduce and increase the level of conflict, depending on the context. Communication of improved information will need to go beyond just the weather and resource information and also include the multiple options for herd movements as well as providing information on herd crowding and potential conflict areas.

Behavioral, plastic, and evolutionary responses to a changing world

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolf U. Blanckenhorn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life History ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Temporal Scales ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Physiological Adjustments ◽  
Changing World

Organisms can respond to environmental change by modifying their behavior to obtain an instant response, through short-term phenotypically plastic, often physiological, adjustments, and/or by adapting their life history through a more long-term evolutionary response. Behavioural and physiological responses, in fact, can occur at all these three temporal scales. Examples of behaviors so affected include congregation, dispersal, foraging, migration, or mating. Such responses have consequences at the population and community levels, and ultimately for the evolution of species. This chapter discusses insect examples of these kinds, with an emphasis on human-induced factors, such as (primarily) climate change, pollution, fragmentation, and urbanization.

scholarly journals Info-Gap Models for Optimal Multi-Year Management of Regional Water Resources Systems under Uncertainty

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3152
Author(s):  
Mashor Housh ◽  
Tomer Aharon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Deep Uncertainty ◽  
Water Resources Systems ◽  
Uncertain Future

The common practices for the planning and management of Water Resources Systems (WSSs) have been challenged in the last few decades by global climate change processes, which are observed around the world in increasing frequencies. Climate change is manifested by climate variability, temperature increase, and extreme events such as droughts and floods, which have a decisive effect on natural resource availability and in turn on water quality. Historical records may not be sufficient to reliably account for uncertain future predictions under climate change conditions. While such highly uncertain situations become the “normal” case worldwide, the traditional practices of probabilistic risk measures cannot be used to appropriately quantify the uncertain phenomena under non-stationarity conditions. To better account for uncertain future conditions, the objective of this study is to develop a water management model based on Info-Gap Decision Theory (IGDT) using optimization under deep uncertainty conditions. The Info-Gap theory is a framework that measures the confidence in the operational decisions by quantifying the robustness to uncertainty without accounting for any probabilistic data. To demonstrate the method as a tool to better guide the long-term sustainable operation of the water supply system under uncertain future conditions, we applied the Info-Gap model to the Sea of Galilee (SoG) regional WSS, which is a significant part of the Israeli National Water System (INWS). For Israel, which is, like other Middle East semi-arid regions, prone to dry conditions and limited water availability, there are well-founded concerns that prolonged periods of drought lie ahead, as a consequence of the global climate change processes. This study contributes a management tool for decision making under deep uncertainty to improve the decision-making process and better adapt to unpredictable uncertain future conditions. We demonstrate how the IGDT could be formulated and used to analyze WSSs under different settings and demonstrate how decisions could be derived from the IGDT formulation. We also show a sensitivity analysis for the obtained solutions.

Climate change impacts on water resources in a rural community in Limpopo province, South Africa: a community-based adaptation to water insecurity

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-598
Author(s):  
Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptation Practices ◽  
Community Based Adaptation

Purpose The study explored the impacts of climate change on water resources, and the community-based adaptation practices adopted to ensure water security in a rural community in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The participatory approach was used to allow community members to share their challenges of water scarcity, and the measures they have developed to cope with inconsistent water supply. Findings The study results show that the community obtains water for household consumption from the reticulation system supplied by Mutale River and the community borehole. These resources are negatively impacted by drought, change in the frequency and distribution of rainfall, and increased temperature patterns. The water levels in the river and borehole have declined, resulting in unsustainable water supply. The community-based adaptation practices facilitated by the water committee include observance of restrictions and regulations on the water resources use. Others involve securing water from neighbouring resources. Originality/value This type of community-based action in response to climate change could be used as part of rural water management strategies under climate change.

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