Describe nomadic pastoralism as a type of subsistence farming

Nomadic herding is an extensive form of land use involving largely the rearing of
animals and constant or seasonal migration of the nomads and their flocks. It is the
simplest form of pastoralism in which herds and flock graze on natural vegetation.

Nomadic herding is largely confined to sparsely populated and harsh
environments characterized by low, ineffective rainfall, high temperatures and high
evaporation rates. In East Africa it is practiced in the semiarid areas including north
eastern and south western parts of Kenya; north eastern parts of Tanzania and in the
Karamoja area of Uganda. Some of the typical nomadic people in East Africa are the
Maasai, Samburu, Rendille, Turkana, Karamojong, Ankol, Sukuma, Gogo and Bahima.

Characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralism

Seasonal movements: nomadic herders are constantly on the move searching for
pastures and water. The movement could be constant from one pasture to another or from
one water hole to another; or it could be of a seasonal nature in which the pastoralists
spend their dry season in one place and migrate to the wet areas during the rainy season.
The migratory behaviour of the nomads is further enhanced by the presence of a variety
of animal diseases such as foot and mouth, anthrax and East coast fever; and also pests
especially the tsetse fly. These diseases reduce the health of the animals as well as their
productivity. Cattle rustling also contribute to the migratory of the nomads.

- Large herds of animals are kept. A large herd plays an important role as risk
‘capital’ during periods of prolonged drought and livestock disease outbreaks.
When such incidences occur large herds spread thin the risk of the total loss.
Large herds also enhances ones social status. In addition large herds are necessary
for building social alliances through transfer of animals to friends and kinfolk as
loans, especially during times of need. These facts are the major reason behind the
immense resistance to the idea of de-stocking.

- Living structure: The habitation is usually a tent, which can easily be transported
or cow-dung build huts. Where true nomadism is practiced, there are no
permanent settlements.

Land is owned on a communal basis.
- Indigenous types of animals such as the Boran and Zebu are reared. The average
high temperatures (22-27oc) are too high for the exotic breeds of livestock such as
the Aberdeen, Frisian and Galloway. In some of the extremely arid places with
exceptionally high temperatures like Northern, Central, Eastern Africa.

The quality of the animals is low, a fact attributed to the large sizes of herds
reared in harsh environments characterized by insufficient pasture. Also the
constant movements contribute to weight loss of the animals.

Problems experienced by pastoralists
Pastoralists experience a wide variety of problems. Among them are:

Droughts
- Livestock farming forms the main stay of the livelihoods of the nomadic people.
These people inhabit harsh environments characterized by a regular occurrence of
acute droughts, shortage of water and pastures. Starvation and death of livestock
as well as human losses are the main effects of drought on the nomads. Due to the
frequent nature of drought in these fragile ecosystems pastoralists have evolved
coping strategies to circumvent the consequences of droughts. These include:

- Herd maximization: Large herds are kept as some insurance during periods of
drought. Nomads are never eager to sell their livestock. But during a drought
period more livestock than is normal is sold to minimize the number of losses.

- Slaughter of the young kids and lambs. During the time of a severe drought, the
newly born lambs and kids are slaughtered. This is done to increase the chance of
survival of the mother.

- Mobility: pastoralists move with their stock to alternative grazing areas during
severe drought periods. The number and distance of movement in any year
depends on environmental conditions., the quality and quantity of resources and
the species of livestock. For example, during the 1984 and 2000 droughts, the
Maasai pastoralists moved to Nairobi (urban and peri-urban) in search of pasture
and water. This is the case all over Africa. Elsewhere during the 1999/2000
drought, herds in Northern Kenya moved their livestock to southern Ethiopia,
Bulo area and Sibiloi National reserve. Sometimes desperate pastoralists invade or
encroach onto land owned by sedentary farmers a problem, which has been a
source of conflicts between pastoralists and crop farmers.

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Titany answered the question on January 18, 2022 at 05:46