When Pastures Dry

5.3.3 When Pastures Dry

Description

Quick Overview

This section discusses the impact of drought on pastoralists, particularly emphasizing the restrictions placed on the Maasai during colonial rule, which limited their mobility and increased the vulnerability of their livestock.

Standard

The section explores how drought affects the livelihoods of pastoralists by necessitating mobility in search of poor grazing conditions. It highlights how colonial policies confined the Maasai to limited areas and made them vulnerable to livestock starvation during droughts, emphasizing the resulting decline in their animal stock.

Detailed

In this section, the discussion centers on how drought significantly impacts pastoralist communities reliant on herding animals. Traditionally, the nomadic lifestyle of pastoralists allows them to move to areas with available forage during times of drought. However, during the colonial period, the Maasai were restricted to a fixed reserve, severely limiting their ability to search for water and pastures for their cattle.

In times of drought, particularly noted in the years 1933 and 1934, the Maasai faced catastrophic losses as they were unable to move their livestock to more favorable grazing areas, leading to starvation and disease. These conditions were exacerbated by continuous pressure on the remaining pastures, resulting in a notable decline in livestock numbers. Additionally, the text highlights that the effects of drought were not uniformly felt; variations in pastoralists' wealth could lead to different coping strategies, where richer pastoralists were better able to manage crises than poorer ones.

Key Concepts

  • Mobility: Pastoralists traditionally move to find pasture and water.

  • Colonial Impact: Colonial policies restricted mobility, affecting survival.

  • Social Dynamics: Wealth affects how well pastoralists can weather crises.

Memory Aids

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • In times of drought, the herd must roam, for without those pastures, they can’t call home.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Once there was a Maasai chief who lost half his cattle to drought. He learned that moving was key; when the rains fell, his herd could thrive.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • For drought: R.E.A.P. - Rotate grazing areas, Evaluate water sources, Avoid overgrazing, Prepare for migration.

🎯 Super Acronyms

M.A.S.A.I. - Mobility Affects Stock And Impact; emphasizing the importance of movement for pastoral herds.

Examples

  • During the huge droughts in the early 1930s, over 50% of the Maasai cattle perished due to restrictions on mobility.

  • Wealthier Maasai could buy livestock from peers affected by drought, while poorer pastoralists would lose everything.

Glossary of Terms

  • Term: Pastoralist

    Definition:

    A person who earns a living by raising and herding livestock.

  • Term: Nomadic

    Definition:

    Moving from place to place in search of food, water, or pasture.

  • Term: Drought

    Definition:

    An extended period of deficient rainfall relative to the statistical multi-year average for a region.