Book: Pastoralism, uncertainty and development

by Ian Scoones

Uncertainties of all sorts – environmental, market-based and political – are on the rise, as the world faces climate and environmental change, as well as market volatility and political turmoil. Learning lessons from pastoralists is therefore important for all of us, as well as ensuring that development efforts are more effective across the world’s rangelands, where millions of pastoralists live.

A new open access book – Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Development – makes the case that recognising how pastoralists make productive use of variability and embrace uncertainty is central to understanding how pastoral systems in marginal dryland and montane systems work. This offers wider lessons for rethinking development policy and practice for today’s uncertain, turbulent world. The book emerges from the work of the PASTRES programme, which is supported by a European Research Council Advanced Grant and is co-hosted by IDS and the European University Institute.

Drawing on cases studies from Gujarat in India, Amdo Tibet in China, Sardinia in Italy, Isiolo in Kenya, Borana in Ethiopia and Tataouine in Tunisia each of the chapters show how, despite being marginalised in policy debates and development efforts, pastoralists are important guardians of vast rangeland territories, making up over half the world’s land surface. Pastoralism generates livelihoods for many, as well as providing animal-based products that enhance people’s diets in some of the poorest parts of the world.

Pastoral systems are however often deeply misunderstood, with false narratives dominating policy and public discourse alike. The book offers a different set of perspectives, rooted in in-depth research conducted by six PASTRES PhD researchers, who all completed their degrees at IDS/University of Sussex. This research was complemented by photovoice and documentation work across sites exploring how pastoralists understand and respond to uncertainties. This is discussed in the second chapter and is now shared through an online exhibition. The case study chapters cover a range of themes, from livestock mobility in pastoral India to resource governance in Amdo Tibet to market dynamics in Sardinia to livestock insurance in southern Ethiopia to moral economy and social protection in northern Kenya to human migration links with accumulation patterns in pastoral systems in southern Tunisia.

Making sense of the findings from the diverse studies, the first chapter offers an overview, laying out a new narrative for pastoral development that takes uncertainty seriously, while the final chapter explores the practical policy implications. Through a regional overview of key policy issues, the major gaps in current development policy are identified and a reframing of policy is offered. Recasting the way we think about environmental degradation, climate change, mobility, conflict, markets, investment and disaster responses suggests an agenda for action, which is relevant across the world.

As Maryam Niamir-Fuller, co-chair of the international support group of the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, comments on the book, “This book is a timely and much needed window into the resilience of pastoralists worldwide, offering important insights into how to increase adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. It offers further proof that pastoralism is not an historical anachronism, but a sustainable solution for both people and the Earth.”

So, please do download the book, enjoy reading it and do share it widely!         

 

See also: “Pastoralists are an asset to the world – and we have a lot to learn from them”- a recently published article about the book by Ian Scoones.