Transhumant Pastoralism and Farmer-Grazier Conflicts in the Ndop Plain, North West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

This study examines the impacts of rainfall variability on transhumant pastoralist activities and farmer/herder conflicts in the Ndop plain. Using a mixed methods approach, inter-annual rainfall fluctuations, coefficient of variations (CV) were used to establish variability while the rainfall Seasonality was used to identify seasonal contrast. 150 questionnaires were administered to purposively selectednative crop farmers and Mbororo Fulani herders.. The annual rainfall variability is shown by a coefficient of variation of 18.11%, decreasing trend, and a high inter-annual variability around the mean of 1802.95mm. The impacts include; drying up of pasture lands and a fall in the quality of pasture 100%(150), shrinking of river courses and water shortages 84% (126), Outbreak of diseases and pests 88.6%(133), and fluctuations in the transhumant calendar 67.3%(101). The result has been conflicts due to competition over constrained resources and stray animals that destroy crops during transhumance. The stakeholders in this sector need to include climate change communication in this domain and improve rangeland management policies to reflect the state of environmental degradation.