The best way to tap into the potential of the drylands is to invest in systems that support pastoral livelihoods, rather than ignoring them and hoping they go away. While such investments are risky, these areas support most of the animal protein consumed by the residents. Unfortunately, however, drylands and the pastoral livelihoods they support have long borne the brunt of underdevelopment, underinvestment and ineffective government policies that have tended to encourage mobile herders to transit into more settled ways of life. Many dryland regions lack the infrastructure and services that would help people cope with the hazards of climate change, variable rainfall and droughts. These and other factors are partly responsible for the recurrent hunger crises. Investments in pastoral livestock systems and markets, and in transportation communication and energy infrastructure, is vital.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 06:16:51 +0000
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