Rangeland Management
Herding Cattle
In the vast Maasai Steppe, local people depend on the natural environment for pasture and farmlands as well as water and firewood for their households. Their future and their children’s future link directly to the health of the environment and its ability to sustain their livestock, crops and household needs. Good environmental stewardship is critical; the challenges to maintaining healthy rangelands and integrating multiple land uses and interests are many. Current threats to the rangelands, people and wildlife of the Maasai Steppe include increased grazing pressure from immigrant herders and livestock (coming from as far as southern Kenya), water scarcity, local population growth, unregulated land conversion, poor farming practices, poaching, human-wildlife conflicts and deforestation. In addition, global climate change threatens many parts of rural Africa, resulting in erratic rainfall, increased desertification and other environmental hardships that have drastic consequences for both people and wildlife.
The future of the Maasai Steppe and its ecological integrity is in the hands of the local people. Their ability to respond effectively to current and emerging threats and to evaluate the impact of their actions is essential. APW’s role is to help local communities improve their environmental and natural resource stewardship by providing access to information, facilitating training in natural resource management at our Noloholo Environmental Center and supporting community-led initiatives to better manage and protect their rangelands.
Visit the link below to learn more about our Rangeland Management Initiative:
Villages for Conservation Program
This program provides support to local institutions engaged in natural resource management, helping to build strong foundations of environmental knowledge. By facilitating local communities in the development and implementation of their own natural resource action plans, local priorities, needs and interests drive local actions rather than outside interests.