Stakeholders' perceptions of land degradation and the management in Bamba, Mali

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the perceptions among local people and officials on land degradation. This study explored and documented the perceptions of different stakeholders in terms of causes and indicators of land degradation. The other objective was to investigate the coping strategies used by local people to deal with land degradation problem. The study further assessed the management system used to reverse land degradation and the local people attitude toward such management. Household interviews were carried out using questionnaire to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Herders 1’ narratives were used to analyze the perception of change of vegetation cover, livestock and human population. Key informants and focus group discussions were used to elucidate some points that emerged out of the household interviews. The household interviews data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A cross tabulation was run to determine relationship between occupation and coping strategies. Frequency of the causes, indicators, trends of animal population and action to address land degradation were presented. Vicious cycle of poverty and deforestation; and pressure-state-responses framework were presented. Herders used ecological and socioeconomic indicators to describe land degradation. The vegetation related indicators were the most prevalent; some species have disappeared while other exotic species appeared in the pasture. According to the herders, the cause of land degradation is abiotic factors while for the officials it is both abiotic factors and human mismanagement. Most of the policies are oriented toward destocking and exclusion of local resources users. However, reversal of degradation through taxation and repressions were perceived by the local people as inappropriate tools. Most of the locals disapproved the extension agent’s way of proceeding. The coping strategies are developed to reduced vulnerability. Majors coping mechanism are mobility (transhumance/nomadism), selling animals and stocking feed. There is a relationship between occupation and the tendency to employ different coping strategies. Tree planting and sand dune fixation were the main physical activities undertaken by the community to reverse land degradation. The local regulations are set up to regulate the use of natural resources. The local people use the non-equilibrium theory to describe land degradation while the officials use the equilibrium theory. The study concluded that there is common perception and remarkable differences in perception between locals and officials. This must be taken into consideration when planning land management project.