Directions for the future

When IPAL eventually makes recommendations on livestock and range management methods that will be consistent with the rehabilitation of the vegetation, it seems probable that the management guidelines will be based very largely on rational modifications to the traditional methods of animal husbandry now practiced by the nomadic pastoralists.

Before any attempt can be made to plan such modifications (possibly including improved breeding, the introduction of controlled grazing, the controlled use of available water, obligatory selective culling of herds, and the introduction of animal product marketing), it is essential to gain an understanding of the traditional animal husbandry regimes in the region. For this reason, an important component of the project is a study of traditional livestock management methods and their relevance to modern techniques, designed to optimize both the productivity and the conservation of the rangelands.