Herding on the Brink Towards a Global Survey of Pastoral Communities and Conflict

This research paper examines the systemic vulnerabilities of global pastoral communities and the drivers of conflict associated with their livelihoods. It argues that pastoralists are often politically and economically marginalized, making them susceptible to radicalization and violence, particularly as resource scarcity increases due to climate change and land encroachment. The document proposes a sustainable livelihoods-based framework for conflict analysis and suggests multi-dimensional interventions that integrate pastoralists into wider societal and economic structures while respecting their traditional mobility and resource management practices.

• Pastoral production is a significant global activity, occurring on approximately 25 percent of the world's land area and supporting about 200 million households with nearly a billion head of livestock, contributing 10 percent of global meat production.
• Pastoral communities face systemic marginalization and vulnerability due to the shrinking of pastures and transit routes caused by expanding cultivation, nature conservation areas, and the hardening of international borders.
• The 'resource scarcity approach' to conflict may oversimplify the issue; while resources are central, conflicts are often driven by shifts in power, control, and identity, as well as the weakening of customary allocation mechanisms by state and market forces.
• Land tenure changes, including the imposition of private property notions and state-led privatization, frequently clash with traditional communal pastoral management and increase insecurity and violence.
• Conflict negatively impacts pastoral livelihoods through the direct loss of productive assets, such as livestock raiding, and indirect effects like the disruption of social networks and the feminization of pastoral roles.
• Historical development interventions in pastoral areas have often failed because they focused on technical productivity (e.g., water development, genetic improvements) while ignoring the socio-political complexities and the necessity of mobility.
• Effective conflict prevention requires a holistic approach that includes restoring access to critical resources, enhancing animal health services, diversifying income streams, and strengthening traditional non-violent dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Women can play a critical role in peace-building within pastoral communities due to their non-combatant status and unique kinship ties, which allow them to act as ambassadors of peace.
• The 'Code Pastoral' implemented in West African countries like Mauritania, Niger, and Mali serves as a regulatory model to reconcile traditional herder-farmer negotiations with modern legislative frameworks.

APA

Nori, M., Switzer, J., & Crawford, A. (n.d.). Herding on the Brink Towards a Global Survey of Pastoral Communities and Conflict. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_herding_on_brink.pdf

Chicago

Nori, Michele, Jason Switzer, and Alec Crawford. Herding on the Brink Towards a Global Survey of Pastoral Communities and Conflict. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_herding_on_brink.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nori |first1=Michele |last2=Switzer |first2=Jason |last3=Crawford |first3=Alec |title=Herding on the Brink Towards a Global Survey of Pastoral Communities and Conflict |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_herding_on_brink.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{norindherding, author = {Nori, Michele and Switzer, Jason and Crawford, Alec}, title = {{Herding on the Brink Towards a Global Survey of Pastoral Communities and Conflict}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/security_herding_on_brink.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }