The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

8. Pastoralists, conservation and livelihoods in East and Southern Africa
Maasai women. The elements of continuity
in Maasai land use and culture suggest that
the protected landscape approach may be a
viable model in Maasai traditional lands.
Edmund Barrow
Protected landscapes, pastoralist livelihoods and the
bottom line
Pastoralists in both Kenya and Namibia occupy land that is important for biodiversity con -
servation nationally and internationally. Their land constitutes important habitat for wildlife
outside of protected areas. If protected areas are not to become isolated islands in a sea of
incompatible land uses these pastoralist lands need to be maintained as wildlife habitat. The
characteristics of the pastoralist landscapes in both countries reflect an interaction between
culture and nature that in the past helped shape a landscape in which there was a place for
wildlife. However, this interaction is coming under increasing pressure in the modern world.
Shifts to agriculture and the subdivision of land threaten the very fabric of pastoralism in
Kenya. Increased sedentarism due to the provision of permanent water and the lure of wage
labour in the town contribute to a breakdown of pastoralist grazing management systems in
parts of Kunene Region in Namibia.
The experience of the pastoralist communities of formal conservation has been mixed. In the
past they lost their land to national parks and game reserves and were denied access to
important resources. The impacts of these losses have contributed to the pressure of change
facing these societies. In more recent times, these communities have seen a different face to
formal conservation. The state and national and international NGOs have been promoting
various forms of community involvement in conservation. In Kenya the Maasai have formed
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