Challenging maize: the role of NGOs in promoting the use of small grains in Zimbabwe's semi-arid regions

Keyword(s):  
2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. J. McAllister ◽  
B. Cheers ◽  
T. Darbas ◽  
J. Davies ◽  
C. Richards ◽  
...  

Arid systems are markedly different from non-arid systems. This distinctiveness extends to arid-social networks, by which we mean social networks which are influenced by the suite of factors driving arid and semi-arid regions. Neither the process of how aridity interacts with social structure, nor what happens as a result of this interaction, is adequately understood. This paper postulates three relative characteristics which make arid-social networks distinct: that they are tightly bound, are hierarchical in structure and, hence, prone to power abuses, and contain a relatively higher proportion of weak links, making them reactive to crisis. These ideas were modified from workshop discussions during 2006. Although they are neither tested nor presented as strong beliefs, they are based on the anecdotal observations of arid-system scientists with many years of experience. This paper does not test the ideas, but rather examines them in the context of five arid-social network case studies with the aim of hypotheses building. Our cases are networks related to pastoralism, Aboriginal outstations, the ‘Far West Coast Aboriginal Enterprise Network’ and natural resources in both the Lake-Eyre basin and the Murray–Darling catchment. Our cases highlight that (1) social networks do not have clear boundaries, and that how participants perceive their network boundaries may differ from what network data imply, (2) although network structures are important determinants of system behaviour, the role of participants as individuals is still pivotal, (3) and while in certain arid cases weak links are engaged in crisis, the exact structure of all weak links in terms of how they place participants in relation to other communities is what matters.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 788
Author(s):  
Wentai Liu ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
Huiming Song ◽  
Ruolan Deng ◽  
Yu Liu

In arid and semi-arid regions, a better understanding of the effect of climate change mechanisms on environmental evolution can be used to guide regional ecological conservation and to improve water resource availability. Increased aridity in arid and semi-arid regions considerably affects the physiological functions of plants and the exchange of carbon and water with the environment. We collected Pinus tabuliformis Carr. samples from Ordos, Inner Mongolia, and measured their δ18O variations. Vapour pressure (VP) was the main factor dominating δ18O variations from July to August, indicating the regulatory role of plant leaf stomata. Based on the δ18O series in the Ordos region, we reconstructed VP variations for July–August (VPJA) for the past 205 years. Spatial analysis showed the reconstruction as spatially highly representative. VP variations in the Ordos region mainly reflected precipitation variations and did not show a significant correlation with temperature. Since the late 1950s, VP has been decreasing, which is related to the weakening of the Asian monsoon. The results of reconstruction decomposed using ensemble empirical mode decomposition showed that El Niño–Southern Oscillation may affect VP in the study area, and the effect of sea surface temperature on the central and eastern Pacific Ocean in the Ordos region may lead to an increase in the drought.


1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Wright ◽  
Prabhat Vaze ◽  
Stephen Gundry

For many areas of smallholder dryland agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, cultivation of drought-resistant small grains such as millets and sorghum offer reliable harvests and food security. Despite this, the area given over to maize in such semi-arid areas has been increasing, although there is a risk of crop failure associated with its longer growing season. The influence of agricultural policy on this change in cropping patterns is examined here in the context of Zimbabwe. It is argued that despite the official extension advice discouraging maize cultivation, other aspects of policy have indirectly contributed to this change in cropping patterns. These aspects include seed supply, changes in producer prices, and the operation of the drought relief programme.


2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 169-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doğan Altinbilek

Dams are a major issue in sustainable management of finite water resources; they have also become the subject of vigorous public debate. This article considers them in the light of the report of the World Commission on Dams and using the example of Turkey. It is argued that economic development and population growth, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, make plain the need for dams for hydropower and irrigation. Environmental impact assessment is essential, as are effective programmes for resettlement to avoid the impoverishment of displaced people.


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