MAJOR HUMAN USE OF ARID AND SEMI-ARID AREAS

Pastoralism in ASALs (traditional and commercial ranching)

Livestock production is practiced in parts of Kenya either under the pastoral extensive system
in the arid and semi arid lands or under intensive ranching and small-scale systems. The
pastoral and commercial ranch systems traditionally contribute to the supply of beef and
small stock meat. Livestock production in these areas accounts for nearly 90% of the
employment opportunities and nearly 95% of family income to the communities in those
areas. Some interventions have been undertaken such as investing in abattoirs (slaughter
house) and beef processing units in pastoral areas and investment in hides and skins
processing in northern Kenya.

Areas in which investment opportunities exist include the following:

(i) Development of disease free zones: In the Vision 2030, at least five disease free zone will
be established to revive the livestock sector and turn Kenya into an exporter of high quality
beef and other livestock products. The projects involve eradication on zonal basis of foot and
mouth diseases with acquitions of the recognized organization for Animal health.
(ii) Zoning: Is a public good investment where government will be the lead agency financing
the animal health control and products safety aspects and in creating the right environment
for the private investors in the meat and dairy value chain. Several countries import Kenya’s’
meat and milk e.g. Israel, Qatar, Iran, South Africa, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and
European Union.
(iii) Establishment of meat industries: Investment opportunities exists in the following areas:-
a. Poultry and pig processing - at present commercial poultry processing areas.
Production and processing facilities in order to supply pigs and chicken products at
affordable prices to the Kenyan consumers and export market;
b. Beef processing units to be put up in major production areas such as Nakuru and
Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County.
c. Game meat: this is a new area which has a very wide investment scope such as in
ostrich farming, crocodile farming among other emerging livestock opportunities
which have proven to be profitable;
d. The investment potential in the deep-sea fishing i.e. prawns farming, fish-filleting and
fish farming.
(iv) Animal feeds and mineral supplements: There are over 13 million cattle in Kenya, which
require a substantial amount of animal feeds. There is also inadequate and uneven distribution
of mineral supplementation. There is therefore potential in production and packaging of
mineral nutrients and fabrication of milling and pelleting equipment.
(v) Dairy industry: Production of milk surpasses the demand at peak seasons leading to a
heavy loss and shortage during dry spell in the country. In Nyandarua County, there is a
potential in investing in processing milk into powder for local markets and export. There is
untapped potential in goat milk processing in Mount Kenya region, camel milk processing in
the eastern and the northeastern counties such as Isiolo and Garissa.
(vi) Improved breeding program: With increased demand for livestock products in the events
market, there will be need to improve the livestock breeds to increase the quality and
productivity of animals for better prices.

Wildlife conservation in the rangelands

 Combine the political and economic forces of pastoralism and wildlife conservation to
restrict the expansion of agriculture into certain areas e.g. tracking the use of subsidies
and land use policies leading to conversion of inappropriate land from pastoral to
agricultural use;
 Try to minimize and control second order conflicts which exist between pastoralism and
wildlife management such as predation, disease and competition of grazing;
 Try to minimize the positive and complementary aspects of pastoralism and conservation
- In areas where wildlife management has been integrated with pastoralism, communities
have been heard to refer to wildlife by such euphemisms as ‘our other cattle’.

Agriculture in ASALS
Rain-fed agriculture: Kenya’s agriculture is mainly rain-fed and is entirely dependent on the
frequent rainfall in most parts of the country. A large proportion of the country, accounting
for more than 80% is semi-arid and arid with annual rainfall average of 400mm. Droughts are
frequent and crops fail in one of every three seasons.

Major challenges facing rain-fed agriculture

a. Climate change: the changing and unpredictable rainy seasons have greatly affected their
ability to plan their farming activities. Areas, which received adequate rainfall in the past,
now receive insufficient rainfall, reducing the land supporting agriculture. This calls for
the need for more exploitation on irrigation farming especially in ASALS.
b. Extension services: the agricultural extension services play an important role in
dissemination of knowledge, technologies and agricultural information and in linking
farmers with other actors in the economy. However there is limited access to extension in
most parts of the country with the national extension staff to farmer ratio standing at
1:1500. This situation hinders most farmers from keeping pace with changing
technological advances.
c. Use of outdated technologies: although Kenya has a well developed agricultural research
system, use of modern science and technology in agriculture production is still limited,
and this may lead to low production. This necessitates the need for extension services that
can link researchers and farmers.
d. Pest and diseases: this has continued to cause a lot of losses to farmers. This is caused by
lack of information by these farmers on how to control these diseases. Post harvest
diseases are caused by poor handling and storage facilities. Maize in eastern province
have been affected by afflatoxins in the past due to lack of drying and storage facilities.
e. Use of inputs: most of the farmers lack information on the correct farm input to use and
the time of application of the same.
f. Soil nutrient deterioration
g. Poor infrastructure.

Type of crops suitable for arid areas include Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye, Emmer, Sorghums
and Alfalfa.

Wildlife conservation
Wildlife comprises of the flora and fauna in their natural environment and wildlife
conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats.
Plant species which are commonly conserved are: acacia, woody shrubs, grasses, the
succulent e.g. cactus and riverine vegetation - occurring along river courses.
Animal species include: large herds of springbok, red heart beast, blue wildebeest, reptiles
e.g. snakes and lizards, burchells zebra, elands, birds and rats.
Most of national parks and game reserves are located in ASALS due to the following reasons:
low precipitation, favorable climatic conditions which favor annual survival, presences of
savanna vegetation which is food for animals, infertile land which makes it the best
alternative, less interference from human, among other reasons.

Wildlife conservation measures:

 Local communities are forbidden to use indigenous wildlife resources.
 Coming up with authorities for managing wildlife within a distinct boundaries on
commercial lands.
 Coming up with the ministry of natural resources and tourism to manage these
resources.
 Educating the local communities on the importance of wildlife for example projects
such as WINDFALL
 Creation of institution to manage wildlife (KWS).
 Non-profit organizations also provide wildlife conservation.
 A new and more successful wildlife philosophy based on economic incentives which
begun in 1960 with the passing of the wildlife conservation act and park act.
 Less cutting of trees projects
 Breeding in captivity has also helped in the survival of wild species.

Settlement patterns in ASALS

Settlement is a place where people have come to live and build homes within an area.
Settlement pattern on the other hand is a repeated form of settlement occurring in a region.
There are three types of settlement patterns namely: linear, sparse and nucleated.

(i) Sparse settlement pattern: Characterized by few houses that are distanced and low
population density. Factors influencing this pattern of settlement include low population,
harsh environmental condition, unproductive land and better security.
(ii) Linear settlement pattern: This is where settlements tend to follow certain feature like a
river or a major road or railway line. This pattern of settlement is influenced by availability of
a linear feature, presence of administrative centres that offer various services, water sources
and shopping centres that offer various goods and services.
(iii) Nucleated settlement pattern: Settlements occur in groups, where prominent activities
are taking place i.e. mining, trading, administration and agricultural activities. There is high
population density as compared to sparse settlement pattern.

Urbanization in ASALS
Urbanization is the shift from a rural to urban society. It is much related to industrialization,
which goes hand in hand with the role of human settlement as an engine of growth of
economy.
Factors leading to urbanization include the following:
 Availability of water that facilitates agriculture, hence providing food which in turn
promotes trade.
 Availability of natural resources i.e. oil deposits
 Developed infrastructure that enhance easy movement, thus encouraging trade.
 Availability of power used in running machines and carrying out other activities.
 Government policy that supports urbanization.

In ASALS the rate of urbanization is low due to the following reasons:

 Low technology applied doesn’t favor increased growth of urbanization.
 Inadequate power.
 Unfavourable weather.
 Water shortages.
 Inadequate labour resulting from low population in these areas.