Livestock keeping in the Nile Basin contributes greatly to human security, income, culture and agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). Inappropriate livestock management uses excessive water and causes water and land degradation. Livestock-water interactions are complex, not well understood, and often ignored in agricultural water development. This results in lost opportunities to achieve sustainable and higher investment returns. Typically, livestock management also ignores important livestock-water issues.

The agricultural sector plays a key role in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). As the backbone of the economy, it affects society at many levels since national economies and people’s jobs, incomes and food security depend upon it. Climate change and variability pose a major threat to farmers in the region, which is already experiencing rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing extreme events.

This report was produced following a study visit to Kenya and Uganda, 19–30 April 2004. The visit was sponsored by CTA and organised in collaboration with ORREDE and SACDEP–Kenya.

Despite the extensive efforts of rainwater harvesting and management (RWHM) interventions for moisture-stressed areas in Ethiopia, the adoption and wider dissemination of the newly introduced techniques have been generally meager. The objective of this study was, therefore, to develop appropriate RWHM techniques through a participatory planning process in the Central Rift Valley (CRV) dry lands of Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, a combination of literature reviews, focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys, agro-meteorological analyses and field experimentations were undertaken.

Selection of presentations made at the workshop on "Pastoral systems research in sub-Saharan Africa", describing the framework used by ILCA for pastoral systems research (PSR), examining methods used in the descriptive and diagnostic stage of PSR, and showing how the design and testing procedures are followed in practice; with particular reference to low-altitude aerial surveys, livestock surveys & household studies.

Pastoralist Areas Resilience Improvement

through Market Expansion (PRIME) showed a

notable decrease in emission intensity (GHG

emissions per unit of meat or milk). PRIME

enabled farmers to increase production

significantly, between 24% and 96%, which led

to a decrease in emission intensity ranging from

-4% to -42%.

? Due to improvements in feed quantity, PRIME

projected an increase in average animal weight

for all livestock (8.3 million head), which resulted

in an increase in GHG emissions by an

Presents a collection of conference papers defining pastoral systems research; the survey and diagnostic phase of pastoral systems research; ILCA's experience in remote sensing techniques and aerial surveys; survey of vegetation resources; livestock productivity and animal nutrition; pastoral production strategies, wealth effects, household studies, and labour data collection as well as livestock marketing studies.

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works through partnerships which are critical for two reasons: for collaborative research on key components and constraints and for the development, testing and transfer of technologies, based on farmer's needs. The ILRI programme designed to strengthen partnerships with NARS has a set of integrated activities, viz, training and training materials development, information products and services and networking.