Development, trends and management of rangeland enclosures among the Hamer in southwest Ethiopia: Prospects and challenges

Abstract

Predominantly being pastoralists, the Hamer for centuries utilized rangeland resources rotationally. But the frequency of droughts, induced by decades of irregular and scarce rainfall, and growing human and livestock population required more grazing land. This gradually led to the  development and management of land for grazing, crop production, and income generation purposes at the individual, dyadic, and communal levels in the form of land enclosures. This paper puts enclosures at the centre of its discussion and analyses the trends and contribution of land enclosures to local livelihoods from environmental conservation and social protection points of view. Based on data from ethnographic fieldwork, the paper discusses the process involved in the development and management of enclosures. Land fragmentation, loss of biodiversity and land conflicts appeared inevitable taking into account the growing human and livestock population, urbanization and policy pressure to settle the Hamer. However, it still is early to judge enclosures to have caused significant land fragmentation and destroyed the interconnectedness of socio ecological systems in the district.

Keywords: Commons, Enclosures; Land; Livelihood; Hamer