Sustainability of Ecological Resources in Pastoral Societies

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(1) GIS analysis of herding ecology : (1) Algorithms using contour-based digital elevation models (DEMs), instead of more traditional grid-based counterpart, to calculate topographic attributes and to classify slope profile and plan forms were developed. (2) Regional scale digital base map of the entire Rendilleland was constructed using the earth resource satellite image data acquired in 2000. (3) Historical and the most up-to-date aerial photographs (1956, 1988 and 2003) were used to lay out a baseline framework for mapping and analyzing the sedentarization of the pastoral community in a spatial context. (4) The contribution of vegetation cover to pastoral movements in the Rendilleland in 1987 and 1988 was studied using atmospherically corrected NOAA/AVHRR image data. (5) Drought monitoring systems used in northern Kenya employ indices such as precipitation, cereal price, and nutrition conditions of children, rather than market price which is often employed elsewhere.(2) Analysis of herding way of life : (1) Pastoral economy is more damaged by heavy rainfall than drought. (2) The inter-ethnic relation among herders is made fluid by herding movement. (3) Dispute of migration straddling state border is settled through the good offices of local politicians. (4) Issue of livestock market is dependent upon the good condition of infrastructure. (5) Centralized government tends to easily destroy or spoil the existing local safety network among the neighboring ethnic groups. (6) It is clarified that the cultural individuality of livestock prevents them from being commodities and that they will be commercialized by such individuality.(3) Analysis of rangeland policy : National parks and animal protection reserves had been exclusively enclosed in the past, but recently they are managed with forgiving herding activities from the view-point of supporting local herders.