March 12, 2012

Scaling Down Innovation: The Case of Maasai Corridor

“The landscape we visited was almost unable to function in an integrated way anymore” – the rather depressed conclusion of the participants who set out to visit the Maasai Corridor as part of the Nairobi International Forum learning activities.

Scaling up innovation? In this case, it is scaling down. And at the very least, imposing strict controls on land use is needed if the Maasai pastoralists are to continue their way of life.  In the savannah area around Kitengala, just south of Nairobi and close to the National Park, fragmented development is turning a migratory corridor for wildlife and livestock into an obstacle course around new roads, cement factories, flower farms, and fenced off private housing developments. Here, you are far more likely to see a ‘1/4 acre lot for sale’ sign than a Maasai pastoralist driving his cattle across accepted common grazing land areas in search of water.

The Maasai are an ancient nomadic tribe that lives in the region spanning fromTanzaniato westernKenya. They respect and depend on their cattle, which provide them with essential needs such as meat, milk, blood and hide.  Yet that lifestyle is becoming untenable with many subdividing their plots to sell to property speculators, adopting a sedentary farming lifestyle, or struggling to find work or start businesses without the education, skills, or finance they need.

Mrs. Mary Seneta, a local farmer who now has a sedentary farm irrigated by a bore hole, told the group about the problems in the area:

 “What is positive about the changes? Well now we have electricity, better roads, more cars, and some private schools. But the negatives far outweigh the positives. It is getting so difficult for the Maasai community here to make a living. There is too much dryness for the animals to survive, especially after the prolonged drought of two years ago in eastAfrica. We used to live on milk and meat for food and income, but many animals died, and the pastoralists had to try and go into business or find a job. Many are unemployed now.”

In terms of the land development, Mary explained: “We are denied access to grazing areas because of uncontrolled development. Pollution is increasing. People are buying land and building estates next to rivers, with no controls about sewage or limits to the demand from new irrigation systems which are feeding the gardens in the new developments. Litter is everywhere – such as plastic that when eaten by the animals, can kill them. The wildlife is also diminishing. We used to coexist with the wildlife, but the migratory corridor is almost blocked so when the animals sense that rain is coming, they cannot freely move along the corridor from the national park. 10 years ago we saw many wild animals here, such as elephants, but now we hardly see any”.

These themes were echoed by the pastoralist farmers, who were literally able to see the urban sprawl coming towards them from their savannah homes. Like Mary, they spoke to the group about the urgent need for a strictly enforced land use plan that takes into account urban, rural, and wildlife needs. They also felt unable to access information about how to adapt to the dry conditions, which are exacerbated by increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. Consequently, they understand the temptation for the farmers that own land to sell it to developers, and were concerned about the increase in cattle disease resulting from people moving unvaccinated stock into the area to make up for the depleted numbers.

While the Nairobi International Forum has mainly focused on learning through integrated landscape approaches that are working on the ground, this field trip is a stark illustration of what happens when fragmented approaches are taken to land use management, and access to information and education is limited.

A traditional lady Maasai pastoralist made a final appeal to the group: “I need the knowledge about how to get better access to water, pasture, and firewood. Who can give it to me?” That question remains unanswered. But one thing is clear – in the absence of more cohesive landscape-level planning, continued fragmentation and unconstrained development will lead to a loss not only of the corridor, but also of the Maasai’s traditional livelihood and culture.

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