Restocking refugee pastoralists in the horn of Africa

Repeated and lingering famine in the Horn of Africa has produced enormous pastoralist refugee populations in a region where livestock production is a major form of land use. Permanently settling destitute pastoralists has a record of failure. It can disrupt host land-uses, causing social and ecological problems, and prevent the utilization of very large grazing areas where pastoralism may be the only ecologically and economically sustainable land-use. Herd reconstitution should be considered an option in relief and rehabilitation programmes for pastoralists. This paper examines a design where the most proven and immediate way of sustaining stockless pastoralists - farming - can be used to facilitate restocking objectives. Using data gathered in Somalia, estimates of livestock carrying capacity are linked with forage resources, land area, livestock units, and the frequency of good, average, and poor (drought) water years, to explore the possibilities for incorporating restocking into refugee rehabilitation efforts.