Nairobi, August 18, 2008â€" Pastoralists â€" among the most marginalised groups of people in East Africa â€" could adapt to climate change and support others in the face of unpredictable weather, but are continuing to be ignored, according to Oxfam.

A new report, Survival of the Fittest, launched in Nairobi today, shows how climate change is an added burden for the millions of pastoralists living in the hot, arid areas of East Africa and calls on the governments and development partners in the region to overhaul its policies and funding.

The report focuses on pastoralists living in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya who strengthen the region’s economy yet remain ignored as a minority vote not worth winning. Their ways of life have been threatened by national governments side-lining them in decision-making, development organisations introducing programmes designed for settled communities and a growing population that has stretched land and water resources. Climate change has emerged as an added problem, with long rains coming later, droughts occurring more frequently and flash floods devastating both crops and infrastructure.

“All too often the direct economic value generated by pastoralists is not retained in their communities, and the indirect value is un-rewarded and even unacknowledged by decision-makers,” Paul Smith-Lomas, Oxfam’s Regional Director said.

The report decries years of political and economic marginalisation, inappropriate development policies, an increase in resource competition and abnormal climatic events that have reduced the ability of some pastoralists to maintain a sustainable livelihood. “Whether increasing climate change will see a worsening of their current situation or whether pastoralists will be able to adapt and even take advantage of the opportunities it may bring will depend on how these environmental and developmental challenges are tackled by both national governments and international donors, and the extent to which pastoralists themselves are involved in the process,” Paul Smith-Lomas added.

Governments in the region have historically had little economic and political interest in promoting development in ASALs, as they tend to see pastoralists as a ‘minority vote’ that isn’t worth winning.

Kenya’s Minister for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, Hon. Mohamed Elmi, agrees with the findings of the report, adding “pastoralist make a significant contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) in many East African countries, provide majority of the meat consumed and provide a livelihood for tens of millions of people who live in ASALs. They have been adapting to climate variability for millennia and their adaptability ought to enable them to cope with this growing challenge. However, their adaptability cannot be realised without government support and investment.”

Pastoralists are the custodians of dry land environments, providing services through good rangeland management including biodiversity conservation and wildlife tourism. Beyond the provision of basic services like health care and education, there must also be an injection of investment into the pastoral economy across East Africa. Improving market access for pastoral products and developing marketing opportunities are essential to the ability of pastoralists to get the best value for their products. “In the next 10â€"15 years climate change will mean a continuation of current trends including successive poor rains, an increase in drought-related shocks, and more unpredictable and sometimes heavy rainfall events,” Honorable Elmi said.

Oxfam is calling for more appropriate development policies, and for those who are struggling and those no longer able to make a living from pastoralism, there must be a social welfare system in place. “Cash payments in place of food aid will enable the members of pastoralist communities to meet their basic needs in terms of food, health care, and education. Cash transfers, when combined with other suitable interventions, have the potential to empower pastoralists and ex-pastoralists to make their own investment choices. For example, a household might choose between restocking themselves with livestock, investing in alternative livelihoods such as fishing, or experimenting with more cultivation. Communities must be at the heart of efforts to build their resilience to climate change because adaptation is inherently local. It will only work if local people are leading the process,” Paul Smith-Lomas said.

The threat of climate change should be a catalyst for providing these investments. Responsibility for funding this increase in investment in arid areas lies with both national governments and the international community. The Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan governments have all experienced high economic growth in recent years of 5.8 per cent, 6.8 per cent, and 6.6 per cent respectively in 2005, and 5.7 per cent, 5.9 per cent, and 5.3 per cent in 2006. All three governments can afford to fund some of the much-needed investment. Developed countries especially those most responsible for causing climate change must also take immediate action to finance adaptation programmes in East Africa.

The report further asserts that adaptation to climate change also involves the movement of some people out of pastoralism and into other livelihoods. As much as it is in itself a viable economic activity, there is also a need to create alternative livelihoods for women and men who have dropped out of pastoralism, to alleviate the growing population pressure on the land, as well as to increase the range of cash sources available to pastoralist families.

-ends-

Link to report: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/climate_change/bp116_pastoralism_climate.html

For more information, please contact

Brenda Kariuki, Regional Media Officer, Oxfam; tel 254 735 701195
John Letai, Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Coordinator, Oxfam, tel: 254 20 2820000

More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news