Groundwater Management in the Horn of Africa
In the borderlands of the Horn of Africa, climate variability and population growth are leading to the increasing scarcity of resources, including pasture and water. This pattern is intensifying vulnerability and fueling local conflict, which is being exacerbated by weak governance and political marginalization. Pastoralist livelihoods are highly vulnerable to climate variation, and this can be a driver of conflict when shared resources become limited or contested. Increasing droughts, linked to climate change, are forcing pastoralist groups to share dwindling water resources more frequently, sometimes causing conflicts. During droughts, competition for water escalates as large numbers of livestock congregate around water sources. This leads to overcrowding and can result in tensions between herders, settled communities and other users. However, conflict between pastoralist groups does not only occur at times of drought. Even during the rainy season, future uncertainty surrounding water and pasture access can drive opportunistic occupation of land and water resources, resulting in competition and on occasion violent conflict.
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Policy Note biblioteca |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2024-07-29
|
| Subjects: | WATER RESOURCES AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION, LIVESTOCK, CLIMATE ACTION, SDG 13, CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION, SDG 6, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099631307172477476/IDU1c41077f215c27147db1a37617403f1366522 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/41967 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | In the borderlands of the Horn of
Africa, climate variability and population growth are
leading to the increasing scarcity of resources, including
pasture and water. This pattern is intensifying
vulnerability and fueling local conflict, which is being
exacerbated by weak governance and political
marginalization. Pastoralist livelihoods are highly
vulnerable to climate variation, and this can be a driver of
conflict when shared resources become limited or contested.
Increasing droughts, linked to climate change, are forcing
pastoralist groups to share dwindling water resources more
frequently, sometimes causing conflicts. During droughts,
competition for water escalates as large numbers of
livestock congregate around water sources. This leads to
overcrowding and can result in tensions between herders,
settled communities and other users. However, conflict
between pastoralist groups does not only occur at times of
drought. Even during the rainy season, future uncertainty
surrounding water and pasture access can drive opportunistic
occupation of land and water resources, resulting in
competition and on occasion violent conflict. |
|---|