Recent Updates

Recovery “kick off”? Of football, sausages and lost opportunities

Submitted by James MacGregor on Thu, 11/03/2010 - 11:54

When it’s done, the global tally could be 50 million. So says the International Labour Organization (ILO) about job losses from this recession.

In richer countries, that has meant growing pressure on central government resources, as formal jobs have been lost and draws on government benefits have increased. Estimates include 8 million jobs lost in the US and 1.3 million in the UK.

In developing countries, people are more likely to juggle several jobs than in the developed world. This means underemployment

Global Initiative on Community Based Adaptation formally launched in Tanzania

Submitted by Mike on Mon, 01/03/2010 - 09:50

An international conference in Tanzania ended on Saturday with participants announcing a range of initiatives aimed at boosting poor people’s resilience to climate change impacts.

Climate Change Economics

Climate Change Economics work with and develop economic tools for climate change action that improve the welfare of the poor and vulnerable while supporting sustainable development and the environment

MA programme in Drylands Policy and Climate Change Adaptation

Breaking the cycle of impoverishment of vulnerable communities in the drylands of Africa is the ultimate goal of the new MA programme. This is of particular urgency not only because the geographical location of the drylands puts them on the front-line of global climate change, but also because of the acute lack of understanding policy-makers have of the dynamics of drylands livelihood systems.

Kimmage Development Studies Centre (KDSC), Dublin, Ireland

Pastoralism videos

On this page you can view a selection of short videos exploring the impact of climate change on drylands pastoralists.

Nomadic education

IIED’s nomadic education programme works to address the problem of how Kenyan pastoralists can acquire the education and skills which will allow them to compete on equal terms with other national population groups, without compromising their nomadic pastoral livelihoods.

Reinforcement of pastoral civil society in Africa

Governments’ poor understanding of pastoralism combined with the inability of pastoral groups to influence the decisions that affect their lives and to hold government to account is perpetuating a vicious circle of pastoral poverty and conflict, thereby reinforcing the very preconceptions underpinning inappropriate policy directives for pastoral development in much of Africa.

Total Economic Value of pastoralism

Changing policy makers’ perceptions of pastoralism is a challenging and long-term process. An important starting point is to improve their understanding of its dynamics and economic rationale, particularly the direct and indirect economic contributions it makes to national and regional economies.

Pastoral livelihoods and climate change

Pastoralists live in a context of environmental uncertainty and have developed a diverse range of strategies, institutions and networks to exploit this unpredictability and risk to their advantage.  Despite their proven value, these strategies are still poorly understood and integrated in policy design.

Supporting pastoral mobility in East and West Africa

Livestock mobility allows millions of pastoralists to lead productive lives in areas few other producers can exploit. In dryland environments it enables pastoralists to exploit variability in pastures and water to their advantage. It is critical for livelihoods, trade, and for coping with climate change.