The seasonal imperative: Environmental drivers of livestock mobility in East Darfur, Sudan

Abstract

At their furthest extent, the livestock migrations examined in this paper traverse a distance of 400 km or more along a north-south transect, crossing up to half a dozen distinct ecological zones and, upon occasion, the international border between Sudan and South Sudan. Official Sudanese recognition of the value of migratory livestock production has led in recent years to policy and legal changes that support pastoral mobility, but there remains a gap in the scientific evidence that can be called upon to inform this emerging awareness. This paper uses remotely sensed livestock tracking data to document pastoral behaviour in relation to some of the biophysical factors that are important for livestock survival and production. This research supports several policy-relevant conclusions:1. In East Darfur, long-distance migratory livestock production is remarkably resilient to rainfall fluctuations, including drought and flooding, because movement cycles are already designed to accommodate this kind of variability.2. Mobile livestock producers are exposed to human-generated disruption and increasing pressures on their mobility from expanding farms, localized conflict and insecurity, and a new international border.3. Pastoralists need sympathetic governance to mediate their interactions with other forms of land use, which is unlikely to happen unless authorities appreciate the technical sophistication and economic advantages of migratory systems.4. Migratory production in East Darfur uses locally available resources which leaves livestock owners and government free to expend cash reserves on other kinds of inputs, investments or activities.