Lack Of Pasture Research Articles

Legal Control of Pasturelands in the Comunidad de aldeas de Daroca (Aragon, Spain) during the 15th–16th Centuries: Tensions, Conflicts, Lawsuits and Treaties

The seizure of the territories that ended up forming the disappeared Comunidad de aldeas de Daroca began in the 12th-century, when Christian troops took these lands from the Muslims. Among the new settlers cultivating and protecting these conquered domains were many livestock owners from the north of the Kingdom of Aragon who had left their home due to increasing demographic pressure and the lack of pasture. In and around Daroca, their herding activities were regulated in the fuero (charter) of Daroca and in the successive ordinances of the Comunidad. The population increase in the 13th and 14th-centuries, along with the growing economic importance of livestock, led to disputes over the possession and exploitation of agricultural and herding spaces not only within the villages or between neighbouring villages of the Comunidad de aldeas de Daroca, but also with other nearby institutions, such as the Comunidad de aldeas de Teruel or the Casa de Ganaderos de Zaragoza. This chapter examines the tensions and treaties related to the control of pasturelands and herding activities in the Comunidad de aldeas de Daroca during the 15th and 16th-centuries. By the 15th-century, these conflicts generated numerous lawsuits and ended up being economically unsustainable for the Comunidad, which was going through many difficulties – economic and demographic crises, widespread poverty, etc. – derived from the Late Medieval crises. At the beginning of the 16th-century, a number of agreements and concords were reached, although they did not lead to a long-term easing of the problems.

Climate Change and Climate Justice in Rural Sindh: Evidences and Experiences from the Rural-Based Population of Khairpur District

The present research study was carried out to collect the evidences of the climate change impact on the local communities of district Khairpur and to understand the views of people how they experience the climate change impact on their lives. The current study was undertaken employing the qualitative research methodology with a small sample size of villages aging from 25 to 65 age from a single union council. Qualitative research cannot be generalized as qualitative findings are generalized where large sample size is selected to collect the data. The study was carried out on four major areas of the climate change stressors which are Changes in weather patterns, floods, heat waves and heavy rains. All four stressor have direct severed effect on the lives of rural-based population. The findings of the study reveal that climate change has severe impact on the lives of common people which bear lots of pain in terms of agriculture loss where their standing crops are vanished away , their homes are destroyed completely, livestock is dying off due to the diseases spread and lack of pastures in the vicinity where flooded water stand. Other than this, findings tell us that the role of government seems very pathetic towards the affected people of district Khairpur where score of people have no food items to eat, no shelter to live in and other temporary things at the time of heavy rains and floods. This study can be a torch bearer for the policy makers, governments to formulate the policies according to the ground realities. The vulnerabilities of people due to these climate change stressors are visible to governments. Hence, Climate disasters are affecting every corner of the Sindh, and its marginalized communities are left to face a disproportionate share of the impacts of climate change which is violation of UN Framework for climate change.

An assessment of small ruminant production, marketing, and investment options in Somaliland: A system dynamics approach

A complex set of factors affect the production and sale of livestock in Somaliland, including feed supply, diseases, and demand, among others. This study constructs a system dynamics (SD) model to simulate the impacts of baseline dynamics and alternative value chain interventions to address inherent constraints. Findings indicate that Somaliland incurs high economic losses due to occasional animal export bans associated with Rift valley fever (RVF) outbreaks (up to 12% of GDP) and lack of pasture during droughts, given the lack of effort by producers to balance their flock sizes with stocking capacity. Under the baseline conditions, prospects for growth of the small ruminants’ sector are poor as the stocking rate is centered and stagnated at about 2.54 million TLUs, and a decline is projected in the long run. In contrast, the adoption of optimization of animal herd sizes in order to balance feed demand with supply could (ceteris-paribus) enhance productivity, boosting exports and domestic supply of slaughter animals and also lead to improved rangeland conditions, ultimately reversing the projected long-run erosion of stocking capacity.

Effect of Production System on Chemical Composition and Macro-Minerals of Sudanese camels Milk

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the production system effect on camel milk composition and macro-elements content in Sudan.
 Methodology: Sample purchased from camel milk production markets (Albutana- Tumbool, Kordfan-Elobied, and Khartoum-Alsalam market) in 6 replicates.
 Findings: There were no difference in moisture, and protein % among camel milk from different area, on the other hand there were significantly different in fat and ash content % with highest values for Khartoum camel milk and lowest values for Kordofan camel milk. Macro-minerals (Na, K, Mg, Ca, and P) content in camel milk were determined and there was different content. Ca, Na, K, Mg and P higher in Khartoum camel milk and lowest content values for Kordofan camel milk. The study was extended to determine soil macro-elements contents in Albutana and Kordofan areas which were fed by grazing system, and ignored soil in Khartoum whereas camels lives in a farm.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Camels produce more milk of high nutritional quality and for a longer period of time than other species in an environment that might be rightly termed as hostile in terms of extreme temperature, drought and lack of pasture, in Sudan camel’s milk constitutes the sole diet of camel herders for considerable periods and they rely completely on camel’s milk for more than month without having drinking water especially during the migratory routes. Camel milk from different areas and production system had different chemical content in fat and ash % and similar in moisture and protein %, within the same season. However, macro-minerals in camel milk increasing by soil macro minerals contents specially on grazing system.

Current and Future Challenges and Opportunities for Livestock Farming in West Africa: Perspectives from the Case of Senegal

Livestock farming is a livelihood activity and is critically important for the food and nutritional security of the majority of the population in West African countries, including Senegal. Nevertheless, livestock farming operates far below the optimum production potential, mainly due to demographical, biophysical, economic, environmental, and sociopolitical challenges. To address these issues, we conducted this review with an overall objective of characterizing different livestock farming systems and to identify challenges and opportunities to improve livestock production in West Africa through the broader perspectives from the case of Senegal. Pastoral, agropastoral, and off-land systems are the three major livestock production systems in this region, which are unique in terms of agroclimatology and degree of intensification and integration. The major challenges identified in livestock farming systems are lack of pasture and quality feed, scarcity of water resources, climate change, undeveloped breeding and management of livestock, poor marketing and trade, and socioeconomic constraints. Moreover, we contribute to the literature on crop-livestock farming in Senegal and West Africa by proposing plausible interventions to improve the productivity of the farming system to improve food and nutritional security. Concentrated efforts must be taken in co-designing effective management interventions for sustainable intensification of livestock sector in the region, considering site-specific approaches.

Livelihood and production strategies of livestock keepers and their perceptions on climate change in the Central Peruvian Andes

Harsh climatic conditions have always marked the living conditions of smallholders in the Peruvian Andes. Nowadays, farmers see their livelihoods more and more challenged by environmental and economic changes. These factors result in adaptations of their livelihood strategies that can be classified in on-farm production and income-generating strategies. The study's objective was to investigate income-generating and production strategies of livestock keepers in the Central Andes of Peru. Farmers' perceptions of their livestock and perceived effects of climate change were investigated. Therefore, 46 livestock farmers from the provinces of Pasco and Daniel Carrión were interviewed. Most farmers diversify their livestock, keeping llamas, alpacas, sheep, and cattle in different combinations at once. Only a few farmers are specialized and keep alpacas in high numbers. A diversified production strategy decreases vulnerability regarding environmental and economic shocks. The main reasons for changing the herd compositions were economic and environmentally caused reasons such as a lack of pasture and declining prices for sheep wool. All farmers see climate change as a production constraint, and the ones that can afford it have already tried to cope via the adoption of diverse adaptation strategies. Farmers seem to plan a shift towards a higher number of llamas as they are considered to be more resistant to changing climate. However, the market for llama products is small, and prices are low, so farmers cannot rely on sufficient incomes by only keeping llamas. More than half of the farmers work in non-farm activities. Farmers experience a high economic pressure to look for work outside their farms. Investments in infrastructure, better extension services, and capacity-building programs should be taken to support farmers to improve their livelihood. These strategies can help ensure that farmers are offered a perspective for their future in the High Andes.

Breeder’s knowledge on ticks and tick-borne diseases and management strategies in Menoua division (Western region of Cameroon)

Cattle are challenged by numerous tick species in the western highlands of Cameroon. Consequently, several tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are known to be endemic in this region. To face this situation, farmers mainly resort to the use of chemical acaricides. But to date, no study has focused its attention on the evaluation of tick control methods in this area. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the knowledge and practices of breeders against ticks and TBDs in Menoua Division. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4 Sub-divisions of Menoua Division. Breeders who consented to the study were interviewed using semi structured questionnaires. Interviews were conducted in French, English or local language (Fulfulde). The questionnaire was made of 25 questions sectioned into; (i) farmer’s knowledge on ticks and TBDs, (ii) treatment practices of infested animals and, (iii) the estimated amount spent for vector control of ticks. All the breeders interviewed had a good knowledge on ticks and the main direct effects they inflict on animals. However, only 7% of respondents associated ticks to the main TBDs. Manual removal and chemical control using synthetic acaricides (usually pyrethrinoids) were the main methods of tick control. Despite the multiplication of treatments (on average 1/week), their effectiveness was not perceived by almost all breeders (82.0%; n = 82) who complained of treatment failures, regardless of the sites and molecules used. In addition, each farm spent on average 8, 521 ± 2, 968 CFAF (US$16.08 ± 5.6)/month for vector control. That is a cumulative amount of CFAF 588, 000 (US$1, 109.45)/month and CFAF 7, 056, 000 FCFA (US $ 13, 313.49)/year for all the farms visited. The lack of pasture (OR = 43.5; p

Mitigation of Climate Change through Conservation Agriculture

Current and future global environmental change, in combination with population growth and increase in consumption per capital, poses a great threat to global food security. In addition, it is predicted that up to 25% of world food production may be lost during the 21 st century due to climate change, water scarcity, invasive pests and land degradation.Smallholders in Ethiopia face widespread problems related to inappropriate cultivation, overgrazing and deforestation, resulting in soil erosion and soil fertility decline, water scarcity, lack of pasture and livestock feed, and fuel wood crisis. This cycles requiring urgent action and different approaches in the dry lands and highland areas adapting to climate change through land and Water management. Increasing weather variability and climate change are contributing to land and natural resource degradation by exposing soils to extreme conditions and straining the capacity of existing land management practices to maintain resource quality. Results include degradation of vegetation cover and loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, depletion of organic matter, reduced rainwater infiltration and water holding capacity of the soil and loss of productivity and effects on wider ecological functions. So that by considering the climate change as national and global condition it is a time to taking action through different alternatives. Among the options conservation agriculture system is one of non-substitutable option among others due to its smartness with climate change by improving soil fertility, water management and food security. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-1-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2021

Classifying Large Wildfires in the United States by Land Cover

Fire is an ecological process that also has socio-economic effects. To learn more about fire occurrence, I examined relationships between land classes and about 12,000 spatially delineated large wildfires (defined here as uncontrolled fires ≥200 ha, although definitions vary) during 1999 to 2017 in the conterminous United States. Using random forests, extreme gradient boosting, and c5.0 classifiers, I modeled all fires, first years (1999 to 2002), last years (2014 to 2017), the eastern, central, and western United States and seven ecoregions. The three classifiers performed well (true positive rates 0.82 to 0.94) at modeling all fires and fires by year, region, and ecoregion. The random forests classifier did not predict to other time intervals or regions as well as other classifiers and models were not constant in time and space. For example, the eastern region overpredicted fires in the western region and models for the western region underpredicted fires in the eastern region. Overall, greater abundance of herbaceous grasslands, or herbaceous wetlands in the eastern region, and evergreen forest and low abundance of crops and pasture characterized most large fires, even with regional differences. The 14 states in the northeastern United States with no or few large fires contained limited herbaceous area and abundant crops or developed lands. Herbaceous vegetation was the most important variable for fire occurrences in the western region. Lack of crops was most important for fires in the central region and a lack of pasture, crops, and developed open space was most important for fires in the eastern region. A combination of wildlands vegetation was most influential for most ecoregions, although herbaceous vegetation alone and lack of pasture, crops, and developed open space also were influential. Despite departure from historical fire regimes, these models demonstrated that herbaceous vegetation remains necessary for fires and that evergreen forests in particular are fire-prone, while reduction of vegetation surrounding housing developments will help provide a buffer to reduce large fires.

ПРИОРИТЕТЫ ЭФФЕКТИВНОГО ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ПАСТБИЩ ДЛЯ РАЗВИТИЯ ЖИВОТНОВОДСТВА В ЛИЧНОМ ПОДСОБНОМ ХОЗЯЙСТВЕ КАЗАХСТАНА

The institutional and organizational-economic directions of the effective using pastures for keeping private households livestock around the settlement territories, creating favorable environmental conditions for rural residents, preventing land degradation around rural settlements are considered. The current regulatory framework of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the development of households and the use of pasture areas for developing animal husbandry is analyzed. Based on the assessment of the legislative support for this category of farms in the countries of the Union of Independent States, the rationale for the need to adopt the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the activities of people’s private households” is provided. On the basis of a monographic study of rural areas around large rural settlements and private animals farms, the degree of seasonal use of pastures in rural areas in different natural and agricultural zones was determined, the regions with a lack of pastures and a high concentration of rural population, as well as the regions with a low load of livestock on pastures were identified. Households with a large number of livestock and output of marketable products, which do not have the status of individual entrepreneurs, were identified. An assessment is given of the state of reserve territories of reserve lands, forest resources and reserves for their possible involvement in agricultural turnover on the basis of long-term and short-term lease to replenish the feed stock of livestock kept in private households. Methods have been developed for determining the organizational and economic mechanisms for regulating livestock grazing in rural areas by observing the optimal load of livestock from private households and their seasonal use with the involvement of reserve lands in the agricultural turnover, transforming peasant farms into business structures.

Caracterización de algunos parámetros de la producción caprina en el Departamento de Chical-Co, La Pampa, Argentina

The objective of the present study was to characterize certain parameters of goat production of Chical-Co area, in the West of the La Pampa province, Argentina, using the EPO 2005, a structured survey of descriptive-exploratory type on some variables that have impact on the production model was conducted. The 165 farms in the area were evaluated, finding a predominance of flocks ranging from 101- 200 goats. Likewise, the male female ratio was found to be 1:46.6, being the average age of first service of 6,5±0,2 months and the percentage of replacement goats of 16.8 percent. Although it was developed in an arid region, the lack of water and pasture are not seen as limiting problems in the production system. It is concluded that, due to the level of animal existence, goat establishments in Chical-Co are considered small holder farmers or smallholders and despite the low ratio male:female, fertility level was good . On the other hand, the percentage of existing replacement goats in such establishments guarantees a good level of substitution of old females. In addition, the lack of pasture and water are not considered to be relevant problems of negative impact on goat production systems.

ENDOGENOUS PERCEPTIONS AND MEASURES FOR AGROPASTORALISTS’ ADAPTATION IN THE SAHELIAN AREA OF BURKINA FASO

The study was conducted to understand the perceptions and local adaptation strategies of rural sahelian communities in Burkina Faso to climate change on ruminant rearing practices. For this purpose, the study was carried out in the rural commune of Bani by collecting primary from semi-structured interviews with 143 producers and secondary data of temperature, rainfall and their spatial and temporal evolution from 2005 to 2016. Analysis of these data reveals that 67.13% of the producers are male and 32.86% female, with an average age of 55 ± 0.3 years. These respondents were agropastoralists with an average of 3.5 ha of cultivated land, using traditional seeds (100% of respondents) and improved seeds (58.7%) and rearing local breeds of ruminants. For climate change, respondents notified an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall that corroborates the analysis of the meteorological data collected. The consequences of climate change on livestock farmers' resources are food insecurity, lack of pasture, drought and low animal productivity. The local adaptation strategies applied by livestock farmers are the diversification of agro-sylvo-pastoral production (88.11%) and income-generating activities (70%). In the study area, diversification is the strategy adopted by agro-pastoralists to ensure food security and provide income to meet the daily needs of families.

Analysis of the management competencies of goat farmers in some selected local government area of Lagos State Nigeria

This study focused on the analysis goat farmers’ management competency in ensuring sustainable production in some selected local government areas of Lagos state, Nigeria. A total of 80 goat farmers were sampled for the study with the aid of structured questionnaires which were used to collect data needed for the study. The objectives of this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the hypothesis was tested using binary logistic regression. The result showed that men dominated women in goat farming and that the average age of respondents was 42.4 years. It revealed that majority of the respondents (65.4%) made an annual income of 100,000-300,000 annually and had lived in the study area for 10-15 years. This study also showed that majority of the respondents practiced semi intensive system of management, used family labour (55.6%), the study further revealed that the goat farmers in the study area has low management competency with poor extension service, lack of pasture and graze land and prevalence of ectoparasite among the major challenges facing the goat farmers. It was recommended that farmers be encouraged to belong to organizations such as cooperatives to solve problems in management and government should revamp the extension service to improve service delivery to the farmers.

Effects of health disorders, genetic modifications and new technologies on the welfare of dairy cattle

The purpose of this review was to present the effect of selection of cows for increased milk and meat yields on the animal welfare status in advanced cattle production systems during the last two decades. Numerous health problems are due to housing systems characterized by the lack of pastures and runs, litterless floors, animal congestion limiting cows’ movement, feeding on roughage, social conflicts and bad management. The most frequent causes of culling are lameness, mastitis and reproductive disorders in dairy and beef cattle, which reduce cows’ longevity and result in economic losses in animal husbandry. In addition, lameness and mastitis cause severe pain, exposing cows to suffering and thus reducing their welfare, which is currently unacceptable to consumers. Animal welfare in cattle production should be ensured not only for legal and ethical reasons, but also because it is essential for the good health of the animals, making it possible to limit the use of antibiotics, which are a threat to food safety and public health.

Typology and structural characterisation of suckler cow farming system in Central Macedonia, Greece

The aim of this study was to establish a farm typology of the suckler cow sector, based on a stratified sample of 66 farms in the region of Central Macedonia, Greece. The method of hierarchical cluster analysis has been used to typology and characterisation of the farming system. The farm size was determined by the number of suckler cows and total livestock units. The degree of intensification of the farming system was classified based on the stocking rate of available pastures, labour efficiency, housing system and level of infrastructure. Cow productivity was evaluated as the weaned calves to cows’ ratio. The profitability and the dependence of farms on subsidies were estimated by using gross profit with or without the addition of total subsidies. Following the results, four principal farming systems and one diversified were highlighted: firstly, a traditional, pasture-based, semi-extensive system with low profitability and strong dependence on subsidies was identified. Secondly, a viable and relatively profitable, despite the lack of pasture land, semi-intensive system was revealed. The third one was also a semi-intensive system with high pasture availability and low reliance on subsidies. The intensive farming system that was represented by the fourth case was unsustainable due to the absence of available pastures. The semi-intensive one, which characterised as ‘diversified’ was not a pure suckler cow farming system as it was mainly based on purchased calves fattening.HIGHLIGHTSThe lack of pastures constrains the development of suckler cow farming sector in Central Macedonia, Greece.The low percentage of weaned calves (62%) leads to low capital outputs.Semi-intensive systems are best suited to ensuring the future viability of suckler cow farms with or without receiving subsidies.

Climate trends, risks and coping strategies in smallholder farming systems in Uganda

Smallholder farmers in Uganda face a wide range of agricultural production risks. Climate change and variability present new risks and vulnerabilities. Climate related risks such as prolonged dry seasons are becoming more frequent and intense with negative impacts on agricultural livelihoods and food security. This paper examines farmers’ perceptions of climate change, climate-related risks affecting crop and livestock production, including climate-risk management and adaptation strategies. Percieved changes in climate included erratic rainfall onset and cessation (which were either early or late), poor seasonal distribution of rainfall and decreased rainfall. In addition, farmers reported variations in temperatures. Drought, increasing disease and pest incidences, decreasing water sources, lack of pasture, bush fires, hailstorms, changes in crop flowering and fruiting times were the major climate-related risks reported. In order to cope with climate change and climate variability, farmers use a wide range of agricultural technologies and strategies. Mulching, intercropping and planting of food security crops were among the most commonly used practices. Other strategies included water harvesting (mainly for domestic consumption), other soil and water conservation technologies and on-farm diversification. Farmers often use a combination of these technologies and practices to enhance agricultural productivity. Analysis of trends in temperature and rainfall showed an increase in average maximum temperatures, while average annual rainfall showed mixed results, where a general decline was observed in one district and a relatively stable trend in the other district. Farmers’ perception of changing rainfall characteristics and increasing temperatures were consistent with observed historical climatic trends based on meteorological data.

Can pastoral communities offer solutions for conserving the Endangered Grevy's zebraEquus grevyiat the periphery of its range?

AbstractLittle is known about the Endangered Grevy's zebraEquus grevyiin far northern Kenya, where the species exists in small, isolated populations at the periphery of its range. Understanding the threats facing this species is a prerequisite for effective conservation planning but its rarity makes obtaining accurate information challenging. We set out to establish the current status of, and attitudes towards, Grevy's zebra in northern Kenya using local knowledge as the primary source of information. Pastoralists perceived Grevy's zebra to be in decline as a result of drought, lack of pasture and water, and hunting for consumptive use. There was also evidence of competition with livestock. Attitudes towards Grevy's zebra were predominantly positive, influenced by a range of perceived benefits of living alongside the species, and an absence of severe costs. Coupled with evidence of local conservation efforts in several locations, this is a positive starting point for community-based conservation.

The state of welfare on Serbian dairy farms

The aim of this study was to analyze the overall welfare state on Serbian dairy farms, as well to suggest measures for its improvement. The assessment was done according to Welfare Quality? Assessment Protocol for Dairy Cows on 16 selected commercial farms in which the cows of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian breeds were reared (N=4833). Welfare state on each farm was evaluated by relevant measures that indicated insurance of appropriate feeding, housing, health and behavior as basic principles of welfare. Overall score (0-100 points) enabled finally categorization of farms into one of four welfare category (not classified, acceptable, enhanced and excellent).Based on results, half of the farms were assigned to acceptable, and other half to enhanced welfare category. Housing conditions on the majority of farms (63%) were assessed as unacceptable (?20 points) due to poor hygiene and discomfort. Cows were kept tied continuously on more than one third of farms which together with lack of pasture (17 days/year on average) restricting their comfort and freedom of movement. This may be also linked to low scored behavioral insurance (32points), especially inability to express its natural forms (6.7 points).Health condition was estimated as acceptable, but endangered welfare by high incidence of laminitis (38%), distocya (4.2%) and mortality (6.7%). Commonly performed dehorning procedure (79%) without anesthetic/analgesic application caused pain and stress in affected animals. Overall assessment score (2.5/5) showed the need for improvement in all areas of dairy cows' welfare, especially in terms of their housing and management.

CONSTRAINTS PERCEIVED BY THE DAIRY FARMERS IN ADAPTING TO CHANGING CLIMATE IN WESTERN DRY REGION OF INDIA

Dairy farming is vulnerable to climate variability through increased temperature, variation in sunshine and changes in rainfall pattern. These factors adversely affect feed & water availability, animal health, breeds and in turn milk production. Warmer and drier conditions increase the likelihood of heat stress in cattle. Heat stress adversely affects reproductive performance in dairy animals. In this direction, the research was designed with the objective of constraints perceived by the dairy farmers in adapting to changing climate in Western dry Region of India. Data for the study were collected through proportionate random sampling method from a total of 240 respondents using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The data were analysed using frequency and percentage. The findings of present study show that the major constraints were repeat breeding, lack of knowledge about climate impacts, high cost of concentrate, absence of government policy on climate problems, lack of pasture, non-availability of weather information. The most important suggestions received from the respondents to overcome these constraints, were organization of awareness campaign about climatic problems, growing of improved and drought resistant grasses on pasture land, provision of good quality bull and provision of animal health services at nominal rate

Coping with Drought among the Communities Living in the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya

Drought is of great concern throughout the continent of Africa because of its devastating effects that it has inflicted on the economy of some of the countries. Drought has been recorded to be one of the most felt disasters in recent years in Kenya. The drought that affected Kenya in the year 2000 and 2010 was indeed remarkable in that the country resorted to loss of lives, loss of livestock, power rationing and drying of agricultural crops among other problems. This study developed a technique to depict spatially, the extent, relative severity and location of areas mostly affected by drought in the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya. This was done using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) plots and maps developed using the Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The indices were generated using the C++ program. NDVI indices revealed that most parts of the basin were moderately dry throughout the year. The study investigated the impacts of drought in the area by use of questionnaires and interviews. The impacts identified were mainly crop failure, depletion of water resources and lack of pasture for livestock. The complex and multidimensional nature of drought requires a long term, well-organized and coordinated research plan and action involving all the stakeholders. This study summarized coping strategies adopted by the communities living within the Lake Victoria basin to mitigate drought phenomenon. Some of the strategies include; planting of drought resistant crops, food storage sharing and purchasing of food among others. Recommendations have been suggested for policy makers, planners and agriculturalists to implement to improve agricultural output in a drought prone area like the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya. In particular, the study highly recommends development of a comprehensive drought policy to be implemented in managing drought in Kenya.