Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger

In this article, we develop an empirical model of an agro-pastoral system subject to high climatic risk in order to test the impact of rainfall variability on livestock densities, land allocation patterns and herd mobility observed at the community level. Also, because grazing land is a common-pool...

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Autores principales: McCarthy, Nancy, Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Informa UK Limited 2004
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157644
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author McCarthy, Nancy
Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul
author_browse McCarthy, Nancy
Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul
author_facet McCarthy, Nancy
Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul
author_sort McCarthy, Nancy
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In this article, we develop an empirical model of an agro-pastoral system subject to high climatic risk in order to test the impact of rainfall variability on livestock densities, land allocation patterns and herd mobility observed at the community level. Also, because grazing land is a common-pool resource, we determine the impact of cooperation on these decision variables. To capture different abilities of communities to cooperate in managing these externalities, we construct indices comprised of factors considered to affect the costliness of achieving successful cooperation. We then test hypotheses regarding the impact of rainfall variability and cooperation, using data collected in a semi-arid region of Niger. Results indicate that rainfall variability initially leads to higher densities, but the impact becomes negative as variability increases still further. This result indicates that the benefits of accumulating large herds in variable environments are eventually offset by the increasing probability of large losses. Mobility in the current period is strongly related to current rainfall, and is also positively related to long-term rainfall variability. Communities with characteristics hypothesised to favour cooperation have lower stock densities and greater herd mobility. Neither cooperation nor rainfall variability has a significant impact on the proportion of land allocated to crops or common pastures. -- Authors' Abstract
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spelling CGSpace1576442024-11-14T11:37:34Z Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger McCarthy, Nancy Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul agropastoral systems risk rainfall patterns climate resource management stocking density land policies livestock management grazing land rights cooperation In this article, we develop an empirical model of an agro-pastoral system subject to high climatic risk in order to test the impact of rainfall variability on livestock densities, land allocation patterns and herd mobility observed at the community level. Also, because grazing land is a common-pool resource, we determine the impact of cooperation on these decision variables. To capture different abilities of communities to cooperate in managing these externalities, we construct indices comprised of factors considered to affect the costliness of achieving successful cooperation. We then test hypotheses regarding the impact of rainfall variability and cooperation, using data collected in a semi-arid region of Niger. Results indicate that rainfall variability initially leads to higher densities, but the impact becomes negative as variability increases still further. This result indicates that the benefits of accumulating large herds in variable environments are eventually offset by the increasing probability of large losses. Mobility in the current period is strongly related to current rainfall, and is also positively related to long-term rainfall variability. Communities with characteristics hypothesised to favour cooperation have lower stock densities and greater herd mobility. Neither cooperation nor rainfall variability has a significant impact on the proportion of land allocated to crops or common pastures. -- Authors' Abstract 2004-06 2024-10-24T12:51:10Z 2024-10-24T12:51:10Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157644 en Limited Access Informa UK Limited McCarthy, Nancy; Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul. 2004. Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger. The Journal of Development Studies 40(5): 120-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022038042000218161
spellingShingle agropastoral systems
risk
rainfall patterns
climate
resource management
stocking density
land policies
livestock management
grazing land rights
cooperation
McCarthy, Nancy
Vanderlinden, Jean-Paul
Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title_full Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title_fullStr Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title_full_unstemmed Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title_short Resource management under climatic risk: a case study from Niger
title_sort resource management under climatic risk a case study from niger
topic agropastoral systems
risk
rainfall patterns
climate
resource management
stocking density
land policies
livestock management
grazing land rights
cooperation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157644
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