Enclosure if the East African rangelands: recent trends and their impact | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
January 1988
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
eldis:A14572

This article discusses the enclosure of rangelands and registration of exclusive rights to grazing by individuals or groups of pastoralists. This trend has been increasing greatly over the last twenty years. This occurs because:it is encouraged by governments, planners and multi-lateral donor agencies in an attempt to 'rationalise'the use of rangelands. This arises from a wish to see the pastoral sector move towards more market-oriented production and make a greater overall contribution to the national economyit is initiated by pastoralists as a response to a perception that good land is becoming more secure and there is a need to lay claims to a demarcated area in order to protect grazing rightsThis paper:analyses the reasons why such enclosure is taking placethe short and long term impact on different groupsthe technical and environmental issues which are related to enclosureThe article concludes that:there is much semi-nomadism associated with both planned and spontaneous enclosure, and reciprocal social relations still allow significant access by those excluded to the enclosed areasthe beneficiaries of the enclosures are the national governments which control them and the richer pastoralists who ally themselves with the state and gain power and influence through their increased access to resources. The losers are the poorer pastoralists, pushed further and further into marginal land, and eventually out of pastoralist production completelythis process is an inherently political one, since it concerns questions of access to and control over resourcesit is a growing and important trend with far-reaching implications for the future of nomadic pastoralism

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

O. Graham

Publisher(s): 

The Pastoral Development Network represents a world-wide network of researchers, administrators and extension personnel interested in the issues of pastoralism and rangelands. Between 1976 and 1996 the PDN was managed by ODI and published regular mailings including newsletters and a wide ranging series of papers on pastoralism and related issues. There were also a number of other related publications.

Data provider

eldis (ELDIS)

Eldis is an online information service providing free access to relevant, up-to-date and diverse research on international development issues. The database includes over 40,000 summaries and provides free links to full-text research and policy documents from over 8,000 publishers. Each document is selected by members of our editorial team.


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