Synthesis of Existing Knowledge and Experience on the Provision of ...

will be given to pastoralists to encourage them to practice agricultural activities side by side withtheir regular activities through the introduction <strong>of</strong> small-scale irrigation” (PASDEP, 2006: 70).At the same time, the document provides a wider <strong>and</strong> deeper discussion <strong>of</strong> pastoral areas. Itrecognizes that mobility <strong>and</strong> livestock are central to the livelihood <strong>and</strong> that restricted mobilitydisrupts livelihoods. It also acknowledges that drought, poor market access, veterinary services <strong>and</strong>infrastructure, as well as water shortages <strong>and</strong> degraded rangel<strong>and</strong>s impede pastoral development. Itstates that “a proper underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> pastoralism requires an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the multidimensionalreality <strong>of</strong> the pastoralist situation today” (PASDEP, 2006: 195).The document states that the ab<strong>and</strong>onment <strong>of</strong> traditional grazing systems has had a serious impacton the natural resource base, resulting in overgrazing <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> degradation. These are majorchallenges to pastoral livelihoods <strong>and</strong> represent constraints to development at large. It furtherrecognizes that formal institutions have a limited underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> pastoral communal rangemanagement strategies, which has resulted in impediments to pastoral livelihoods. It states that inresponse, “Government has set a policy that protects pastoral l<strong>and</strong>s, although it is not yetimplemented fully” (PASDEP, 2006: 195).Traditional management systems are recognized in the PASDEP. Within the policy statement, it isacknowledged that it is important to: 1) recognize traditional institutions <strong>and</strong> leadership, 2) promotelinkages between state <strong>and</strong> traditional governance, 3) develop policy innovations which build ontraditional norms as well as state priorities, 4) develop participatory l<strong>and</strong> use <strong>and</strong> ownership policiesbased on communal l<strong>and</strong> management systems, 5) consult pastoral communities in designing <strong>and</strong>implementing development projects in their areas. It further states that it is necessary to underst<strong>and</strong><strong>and</strong> balance the economic advantages <strong>of</strong> interventions with the social costs. However, there is noclear road map or plan for how to achieve these aims.Strategies mentioned to improve conditions in the lowl<strong>and</strong>s include protecting <strong>and</strong> rehabilitatingrangel<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> developing water, but the relationship between water <strong>and</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> pasture in thelowl<strong>and</strong>s is not discussed except perhaps tangentially through mentioning that the ab<strong>and</strong>onment <strong>of</strong>traditional grazing has contributed to rangel<strong>and</strong> degradation, <strong>and</strong> that it is necessary to encouragetraditional natural resource management mechanisms.As was done for the PRSP, consultations were held with pastoralists to discuss the PASDEP <strong>and</strong>bring on board pastoral considerations prior to finalizing the program. Yet again the final documentbenefited little from this consultative process, <strong>and</strong> regional manifestations <strong>of</strong> the national policy werevery similar to the national level strategy (Pastoralist Forum Ethiopia, 2009).Rural Development Policies, Strategies <strong>and</strong> Instruments (RDPS)Since the agricultural sector has been earmarked as central to the growth <strong>of</strong> the national economy,it was recognized that a national policy document was needed to guide development in rural areas<strong>and</strong> achieve rapid growth in the sector. This recognition culminated in the publication <strong>of</strong> the RDPSdocument, produced by the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Information. The development policies <strong>and</strong> strategiesoutlined in this 2001 document focus predominantly on crop cultivation <strong>and</strong> the extension <strong>and</strong>promotion <strong>of</strong> agriculture <strong>and</strong> irrigation as a central way forward for economic growth <strong>and</strong> foodsecurity in Ethiopia.In pastoral areas, short <strong>and</strong> medium term strategies focus on availing water for livestock production,with little mention <strong>of</strong> how this should be approached. In the long term, however, pastoralism is seenas an unsustainable livelihood <strong>and</strong> sedentarization is encouraged with irrigated agriculture as a corelivelihood activity. The document states that “settlement in pastoralist areas is more than just achange <strong>of</strong> place; it is a change <strong>of</strong> lifestyle. It is transferring a person who used to be engaged in43