Environmental Security and Pastoralism

Disperati, P.S., Steeg, J. van de., Breugel, P. van., Notenbaert, A., Owuor, J., and M. Herrero. 2009. Environmental Security and Pastoralism , IN: De Amicis, R., Stojanovic, R., and G. Conti. 2009. GeoSpatial Visual Analytics: Geographical Information Processing and Visual Analytics for Environmental Security. New York: Springer: 409-424

Pastoral areas are home for more than 200 million people and provide essential environmental, economic and social services at global level. Despite the key role of grasslands for many emerging economies, these areas are historically affected by intensifying challenges, like droughts, desertification, burgeoning populations and extreme poverty. As a result of these conditions many countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia are host to a disproportionate number of the world's violent conflicts, where vulnerable pastoralist communities play a key role. The main aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the importance of pastoral areas for the security and an analysis of the role of Geomatic tools to support environmental security analysis in pastoral areas, with special consideration for the activities carried out by ILRI as part of its global mandate to eradicate poverty and insecurity through sustainable livestock production.