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Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture
in Recurrent and Protracted Crises

Ecologies and natural resources - like land, water, livestock, and wildlife - vary greatly across drylands in Africa and the Near East. These areas are affected by climate variability and unequal distribution of water resources. However, they also hold great promise, with dryland pastoral communities increasingly diversifying into alternative ways to earn a living and participating in the community-based conservation of natural resources.

We will address evidence gaps in natural resource management in dryland regions with the aim of improving programming and policy-making to build the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in these areas.

Here we present some recommended resources on the theme of Natural Resources and Ecologies specially selected by SPARC’s experts:

Featured resources

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Huge herds of camels drink from the permanent water source at Guelta d'Archei in the Ennedi Mountains of northeastern Chad - Image by David Stanley - CC BY 2.0 Publications

Issue brief: Transboundary climate risks to African dryland livestock economies

This brief explores how policies at the sub-national, national and regional levels can help and hinder options for the management of transboundary climate risks at local, national and regional levels.
Food being cooked for students in a school in Makalondi, Tilaberri Region, Niger - Image by the Global Partnership for Education - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Publications

Innovation in governance: Integrating technical and contextual perspectives to address fragility

This brief is the first of two and focuses on how using process innovations can improve decision-making within complex and fragile environments in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Somalia.
Researchers interview women in Hayin Ade - image by Maryam Yusuf Bayero FUDECO Publications

Livelihoods, conflict and mediation: Nigeria

This research is the first in a series of longitudinal studies into the impact of violent and non-violent conflict on lives and livelihoods, and mediation dynamics, in Nigeria and Somalia.
Camels on sale at Burao livestock market - Image by ILRI - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Publications

Livelihoods, conflict and mediation: Somalia

This report is the second in a series highlighting learning emerging from a longitudinal study examining violent and non-violent conflict and mediation dynamics in Somalia and Nigeria.

Latest news and features

Panel at IGAD event Features

SPARC-supported research and expertise informs high-level regional conference on land and conflict in Africa

SPARC-supported research and expertise informs high-level regional conference on land and conflict in Africa, forming the basis for nascent collaboration with IGAD
Somali region drought response - Image by Mulugeta Ayene / Unicef Ethiopia - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 News

Opportunity: Post-Doctoral Fellowships at the International Livestock Research Institute

SPARC partner the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) announces two new post-doctoral fellowships in anticipatory action and humanitarian relief and resilience programming.
Men unload sacks of onions in a farmers market in Bamako, Mali - Image by Dominic Chavez / World Bank - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Features

We need more action to reform how climate finance is raised, directed and accessed in West Africa

Changing the way that climate finance is raised, directed and accessed in West Africa is long overdue. Here SPARC shares what needs to be done.

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