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Conservation of Dryland Biodiversity by Mobile Indigenous People: The Case of the Gabbra of Northern Kenya

Bibliography B1528
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Author(s)Ganya, F.C.
Haro, G.O.
Borrini-Feyerabend, G.
DateNovember 2004
Reference typeJournal Article
Source namePolicy Matters
JournalVol 13
Pagespp. 61-71
PublisherIUCN, Gland

Summary
The Gabbra are a mobile indigenous people of northern Kenya. Their livelihood strategy, through which they survived for centuries in one of the harshest environments on earth, managed to conserve biodiversity through a complex and sophisticated natural resource management system that includes the raising of mixed livestock species; the practice of transhumance (mobility); the declaration and respect of “range reserves”; the declaration and respect of use rules for plant species with specific economic and cultural values; and a variety of rules and practices aiming at water conservation and at the protection of water point environments. This paper discusses these practises and their biodiversity conservation results. A number of phenomena that place these practices in jeopardy are mentioned in the paper, together with recommendations about recognising, respecting and strengthening, rather than diminishing, a management system that beautifully stood the test of time.

Themes
Community Conservation
Case study

Geographic coverage
Kenya

Available from
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/Publications/newsletter/PM13-Section1-part1.pdf