Conflicting demands: providing water for African livestock

Animal production is one of the largest uses of agricultural water in the world. In many parts of Africa, livestock demands conflict with water for crops. Managing these competing demands is vital to protect this increasingly scarce resource and to minimise environmental damage.

Livestock use a great deal of water, both for drinking and producing feed. Despite this, livestock water is often ignored in water use management and planning.

Research in several African countries by Bartridge Partners summarises the challenges of providing water for livestock. The researcher suggests that projects to provide water for livestock should include objectives for efficient production and environmental sustainability. This would require learning from past failures in livestock water projects.

Water sources vary across Africa. Some are shared between animals and people, while others are exclusive to animals. Some are permanent, others seasonal. Each different system has different challenges for sustainable water management, but there are several common issues, such as disease risk and soil erosion.

Methods for watering livestock also vary. For example, the distance of water from grazing land is particularly important in dry areas. This determines the amount of time, energy and body water that livestock use whilst travelling to water. Water sources need to be reliable in times of shortage. The method of extracting water from the ground is also critical; this determines how much human work is needed before the animals get to drink, and can perhaps help to control the stocking rate.

The research shows:

• Population increases have forced people to grow crops in areas previously used by pastoralists. Increased competition between crops and livestock is particularly acute where irrigated agriculture has been introduced into grazing areas. This has often led to resource conflict, and also to human conflict.
• In areas with higher rainfall and abundant water sources, secure land tenure has been shown to increase the efficiency of water use.
• In lower rainfall areas, providing new water sources has often led to environmental degradation and social conflict.
• Few African governments have experience, expertise or interest in livestock production. This means that where crops and livestock compete, policies are often biased against pastoralists.

Water for livestock is only one part of rural livelihood systems. Policies for livestock water need to consider other uses as well, including crops and forestry. They also need to consider the broader issues of human and animal health, education and social security.

The researcher recommends:

• In high density mixed farming areas, water facilities for livestock should be incorporated with those for people. This would result in small improvements to existing water supplies.
• In lower density pastoralist areas, the development of water sources should be limited in time and space to ensure that water supply does not exceed fodder supply. Environmental impact assessments should always be undertaken.
• In both cases, the cost of developing water supplies should be recovered from water users.

Source(s):
‘Perceptions, practices, principles and policies in the provision of livestock water in Africa,’ Agricultural Water Management 90, pages 1 – 12, by R. Trevor Wilson, 2007

Funded by: The author

id21 Research Highlight: 11 July 2007

Further Information:
Bartridge Partners
Umberleigh
Devon, EX37 9AS
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1769 569244
Fax: +44 (0)1769 560601
Contact the contributor: TrevorBart@aol.com

Other related links:
'Rethinking the management of agricultural water'

'Catching rain for agriculture in India'

'African groundwater: an underused resource for agriculture?'

See id21's links for water

See id21's links for agriculture