Semi-arid areas in transition:
Livelihood security, socio-ecological variability and the role of development interventions in East Africa

Principal Investigator / Recipient of grant:

Prof. Dr. Marcus Nüsser

Dr. Boniface Kiteme - Director of Center for Training and Integrated Research in Arid and Semi-arid Lands Development (CETRAD), Nanyuki (Kenia)
Dr. Chinwe Ifejika Speranza - Center for Training and Integrated Research in Arid and Semi-arid Lands Development (CETRAD), Nanyuki (Kenia)
Prof. Dr. Elias Ayiemba - University of Nairobi, Department of Geography (Kenia)
Prof. Dr. Francis K. Lelo - Egerton University Nakuru, Faculty of Environmental Studies and Natural Resources, Njoro (Kenia)
Prof. Dr. Zebedayo S.K. Mvena - Sokoine University of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Morogoro (Tansania)
Prof. Dr. James Ngana - University of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Resource Assessment (Tansania)
Dr. Davis Mwamfupe - University of Dar es Salaam, Department of Geography (Tansania)
Prof. Dr. Urs Wiesmann - Universität Bern, Geographisches Institut, Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)(Schweiz)

The proposed project deals with livelihood strategies in semi-arid regions of East Africa that are exposed to global climatic change and undergo rapid transition due to migration, changing access-regimes, resource use conflicts, increasing relevance of centre-periphery asymmetries, and limitations in governance. It comprises two subprojects: The first focuses on vulnerability, resilience and adaptation processes of rural poor under these dynamic conditions. Special emphasis is thereby put on the importance of multi-strategies including their multi-locality and on aspects of gender and generational divides in a livelihood perspective. Building on these insights, the second subproject examines the role of development interventions from a livelihood perspective and identifies structural and procedural properties important in approaches to reduce poverty and enhance the resilience and adaptive capacities of the rural poor. The project is based on case studies in four regions of Kenya (Kibwezi/Makueni Corridor and Laikipia Region) and Tanzania (Dodoma/Singida Corridor and Pangani Region) and applies a comparative approach.

Further Informations are available on the SAAT Project Homepage: http://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/saat-research