Effect of land use changes on adaptive strategies for smallholder agro-pastoralists in Kenya

Abstract

A study to characterize existing adaptive strategies and shifts in smallholder agro-pastoralists in relation to changes in land use and land subdivisions was carried out. A total of 48.9% of respondent indicated that there had been a shift in the adaptive strategies where unreliable rainfall, better access to land and water, acquisition of skills, shortage of pastures and proximity to wildlife habitats were the main factors influencing the shifts. Shortage of rainfall, lack of capital in terms of technology resource requirements, predation, livestock diseases and lack of seeds for both pastures and crops were ranked as the major constraints recording 88.9, 55.6, 45.6, 35.6 and 30% of respondents, respectively (N=90). Early planting, use of drought resistant crops, predation control and feed conservation were some of the important agro-pastoral adaptive strategies in the study area. The change in land-use led to increased problems of predation and depredation leading to increased livestock/wildlife and crop/wildlife conflicts. Proximity to infrastructures such as water sources, road networks or transport, access to credit facilities for input acquisition also affected land-use practices.