Climate Variability Adaptation Strategies: Challenges to Livestock Mobility in South-Eastern Burkina Faso

Abstract

This research work aims to study the perceptions of pastoralists and agropastoralists on climate change impacts on mobile herding and the effectiveness of herders’ adaptive strategies within Kompienga Province, south-eastern region of Burkina Faso. In order to achieve this aim, survey data were retrieved from 271 respondents and analysed. From respondents’ perceptions, climate change is real and is negatively affecting forage availability (in quality and quantity); livestock production and reproduction performances; herders’ practices, their livelihoods and the cohabitation of herding and crop farming. To overcome the increasing constraints the pastoral herding is facing, sound and urgent actions need to be undertaken by Burkina Faso government. These actions include: 1) providing the grazing reserves with necessary facilities such as perennial reservoirs; 2) conducting research to improve breeds that would adapt to current climatic conditions; 3) encouraging and supporting gradual shift of herders from mobile herding to the sedentary breeding; 4) supporting and organizing forage production by farmers. At short term an effective cross-border framework could be created to seek for sound solutions to secure the mobility of herds within ECOWAS territory.