scholarly journals Friendship, kinship and social risk management strategies among pastoralists in Karamoja, Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Padmini Iyer

AbstractThis paper describes risk-pooling friendships and other social networks among pastoralists in Karamoja, Uganda. Social networks are of critical importance for risk management in an environment marked by volatility and uncertainty. Risk management or risk pooling mainly takes the form of “stock friendships”: an informal insurance system in which men established mutually beneficial partnerships with unrelated or related individuals through livestock transfers in the form of gifts or loans. Friends accepted the obligation to assist each other during need, ranging from the time of marriage to times of distress. Anthropologists and economists claim that social networks are critical for recouping short-term losses such as food shortage, as well as for ensuring long-term sustainability through the building of social capital and rebuilding of herds. To this end, I present ethnographic data on friendship, kinship, and other networks among male and female pastoralists in Karamoja. Using qualitative and quantitative data on these relationships and norms of livestock transfers and other mutual aid, I show the enduring importance of social networks in the life of Karamoja’s pastoralists today. I also demonstrate how exchange networks were utilized by participants during a drought. On this basis, I argue that appreciating historical and traditional mechanisms of resilience among pastoralists is vital for designing community-based risk management projects. I discuss how traditional safety net systems have been used successfully by NGOs to assist pastoralists in the wake of disaster, and how the same can be done by harnessing risk-pooling friendships in Karamoja.

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-547
Author(s):  
Ayodele O. Majekodunmi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore social risk management strategies amongst Fulani in the subhumid zone of Nigeria; and second, to determine current status and nature of reciprocal exchange networks, risk pooling and social support for pastoral livelihoods in North-Central Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Surveys of cattle productivity and pastoral livelihoods were carried out amongst Fulani pastoralists on the Jos Plateau: between 2008 and 2013 using participatory epidemiology methods and the sustainable livelihoods framework. Qualitative and quantitative data on livelihood activities, knowledge, attitudes and practices of animal husbandry and disease control, wealth grouping, herd entries and exits was gathered to determine the current state of cattle productivity and pastoral livelihoods in the study area. Findings Results show that reciprocal exchange networks for risk management have mostly disintegrated and patron-client relationships have become an important social risk management strategy. Practical implications This research has significant implications for sustainability of Fulani livelihoods and communities: decreased social risk-management strategies and increased self-reliance means that the most vulnerable households will find it more difficult to withstand shocks and climb out of poverty. Wealthier households may cope better with high incidence/low severity shocks like but are more vulnerable to low incidence/high severity shocks. Likewise, decreased social cohesion reduces the ability of communities to mobilise and act collectively in the face of community-level shocks. This is very important for engagement with the state – a crucial process, given current levels of acrimony and conflict. Originality/value Given the high levels of farmer-herder conflict and civil unrest in this region over the past 15 years this research is valuable in providing insights into economic drivers of conflict, current dynamics of pastoral livelihoods and social cohesion within and between communities.


2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Quintus ◽  
Melinda s. Allen ◽  
Thegn N. Ladefoged

AbstractMuch attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of social complexity. However, increased food production is only one kind of agricultural process, and some changes in agronomic practices were geared toward stabilizing production or counteracting periodic shortfalls. The intersection between these latter strategies and sociopolitical development are poorly understood, while the long-term value of risk management strategies is often hypothesized but empirically not well demonstrated. We address these issues using recent archaeological data from the Samoan Archipelago, Polynesia. We investigate variability in, and the development of, one type of agricultural infrastructure: ditch- and-parcel complexes. In the context of Samoa’s high-volume rainfall, recurrent cyclones, and steep topography, these novel risk management facilities offered production stability and, by extension, long-term selective benefits to both emergent elites and the general populace. Their effectiveness against known hazards is demonstrated by hydrologicai modeling, while their long-term success is indicated by increased distribution and size over time. Additionally, based on their morphologies, funetional properties, chronology, and spatial patterning, we argue that this infrastructure could have been effectively used by emergent elites to gain political advantage, particularly in conjunction with environmental perturbations that created production bottlenecks or shortfalls.


2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Moritz ◽  
Julia Giblin ◽  
Miranda Ciccone ◽  
Andréa Davis ◽  
Jesse Fuhrman ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Michael Casey

This article defines types of quality control and explores risk management strategies that are broadly applicable to any organization engaged in media digitization for long-term preservation. It uses the quality control system for audio and video digitization that was developed by Indiana University’s Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative to provide examples and illustrations of these ideas.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 3137-3182
Author(s):  
K. Prenger-Berninghoff ◽  
V. J. Cortes ◽  
T. Sprague ◽  
Z. C. Aye ◽  
S. Greiving ◽  
...  

Abstract. The need for continuous adaptation to complex and unforeseen events requires enhancing the links between planning and preparedness phases to reduce future risks in the most efficient way. In this context, the legal-administrative and cultural context has to be taken into account. This is why four case study areas of the CHANGES1 project (Nehoiu Valley in Romania, Ubaye Valley in France, Val Canale in Italy, and Wieprzówka catchment in Poland) serve as examples to highlight currently implemented risk management strategies for land-use planning and emergency preparedness. The strategies described in this paper were identified by means of exploratory and informal interviews in each study site. Results reveal that a dearth or, in very few cases, a weak link exists between spatial planners and emergency managers. Management strategies could benefit from formally intensifying coordination and cooperation between emergency services and spatial planning authorities. Moreover, limited financial funds urge for a more efficient use of resources and better coordination towards long-term activities. The research indicates potential benefits to establishing or, in some cases, strengthening this link and provides suggestions for further development in the form of information and decision support systems as a key connection point. Aside from the existent information systems for emergency management, it was found that a common platform, which integrates involvement of these and other relevant actors could enhance this connection and address expressed stakeholder needs. 1 Marie Curie ITN CHANGES – Changing Hydro-meteorological Risks as Analyzed by a New Generation of European Scientists.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3261-3278 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Prenger-Berninghoff ◽  
V. J. Cortes ◽  
T. Sprague ◽  
Z. C. Aye ◽  
S. Greiving ◽  
...  

Abstract. Adaptation to complex and unforeseen events requires enhancing the links between planning and preparedness phases to reduce future risks in the most efficient way. In this context, the legal–administrative and cultural context has to be taken into account. This is why four case study areas of the CHANGES1 project (Nehoiu Valley in Romania, Ubaye Valley in France, Val Canale in Italy, and Wieprzówka catchment in Poland) serve as examples to highlight currently implemented risk management strategies for land-use planning and emergency preparedness. The focus is particularly on flood and landslide hazards. The strategies described in this paper were identified by means of exploratory and informal interviews in each study site. Results reveal that a dearth or, in very few cases, a weak link exists between spatial planners and emergency managers. Management strategies could benefit from formally intensifying coordination and cooperation between emergency services and spatial planning authorities. Moreover, limited financial funds urge for a more efficient use of resources and better coordination towards long-term activities. The research indicates potential benefits to establishing or, in some cases, strengthening this link through contextual changes, e.g., in organizational or administrative structures, that facilitate proper interaction between risk management and spatial planning. It also provides suggestions for further development in the form of information and decision support systems as a key connection point. 1 Marie Curie ITN CHANGES – Changing Hydro-meteorological Risks as Analyzed by a New Generation of European Scientists


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (S1-Feb) ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Remya Nair ◽  
J Meenakumari

The global perspective of human life drastically changed after the spread of COVID-19. The world reduced itself, to a digital cocoon. Education, work, commerce, shopping, industry, sales - all walks of life, transformed mostly into a digital mode. The IT (Information Technology) and ITES (IT Enabled services) saw a tremendous transformation in the operational aspects. ‘WFH (Work from Home)’ enabled the resources to work from their preferred locations. These factors increased the risk of data management and data security. The security of the network and the personal devices used to handle the sensitive and confidential data aggregated the risk factors in project management. The significant challenges faced by the IT sector project management were (1)Global Travel restrictions (2) Forecast of Global Recession in near future and resultant minimization of budget allocated to new projects (3)Negative growth Impact from multiple domains, resulting in reduction of new projects and reducing the scope for existing ones (4)Initial adaptation glitches due to the quantum leap in the digital channels (5)Manage constant fluctuating attitudes and anxieties of employees on personal aspects, job security, drastic change in work environment(6) Unprecedented and unpredictable exorbitant influence of macro environment in the routine enterprise activities. The chances of non-availability of critical resource due to health issues, the network issues faced in the remote locations, the unpredictable exposure of data - all these were contributing elements that increased the risk management complexity. In future, many IT companies have decided to operate mainly in the WFH mode as the operational expenses are drastically reduced. The implementation of efficient and effective risk management strategies become crucial considering the long-term implementation of ‘not from office’ operating model. The trust of the multinational clients, commitment of meeting the deadlines, maintaining the confidentiality and sensitivity of data, protecting the unintended intrusion from the digital malicious practices - all are the additional significant risks and challenges, as the probability for the occurrence of these events have increased exponentially due to the latest work arrangements. This paper attempts to evaluate the current risk mitigation strategies and analyse the gaps in the current system. The aim is to effectively manage the upcoming threats and risks in the long-term implementation of the current working (WFH) scenarios. The overall objective of the paper is to (1) analyse the present-day risks (2) evaluate the contemporary ideas that could be modified into solid framework for better risk mitigation strategies in long-term (3) what to anticipate in the future risk analysis and management processes related to IT Project Management.


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