journal of sustainable rural development

journal of sustainable rural development

Research on Livestock Management in Droughts by Nomads

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ali Mohebbi 1
Somayeh Naseri 2
Mohammad Reza Habibian 3
Hasan Ghelichnia Omrani 4
Akbar Abarghani 5
Lotfallah Parsaei 6
Hamid Mazareei 7
1 Assistant Professor, Rangeland Research Division, Research Institute for Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Semnan, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Fars, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Mazandaran, Iran
5 Assistant Professor, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ardabil, Iran
6 Senior Researcher, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Golestan, Iran
7 Senior Researcher, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Boushehr, Iran
10.22034/jsrd.2024.463526.1190
Abstract
Purpose: Every nation's indigenous knowledge has enabled people to meet their needs without wasting resources, which can be applied to create a more sustainable future. This study sought to gain insights into the indigenous knowledge of some Iranian Nomadic Tribes in terms of how they manage drought conditions on nomadic pastures. Selected tribes in Ardabil, Bushehr, Chaharmahal, Bakhtiari, Mazandaran, Golestan, and Semnan provinces in Iran were selected.
 Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted for this study. Specifically, a multiple case study approach will be used with reference to the theories of symbolic interaction and ethnographic methodology. The data collection method included in-depth individual and group interviews, participatory observation and focused group discussion techniques. The sampling method was purposeful and theoretical. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with nomads to explore Indigenous knowledge of drought management until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were recorded on paper, and the results were analyzed item by item by adapting the method of postmodern ethnography using a descriptive model.
Results: The results showed the nomads were implementing a range of solutions to address drought conditions, including moving livestock to areas with food sources, managing water resources (e.g., the Hanare System or livestock watering every other day, constructing traditional water storage structures, and water supply by tanker), and livestock management (removing livestock fattening and finally selling livestock).
Conclusion: During droughts, nomadic herders try to keep the herd in the same condition as before the drought or with minimal changes through different management methods. It seems that providing legal facilities in such periods can lead to the stability of nomadic livestock farming.
Keywords
Indigenous Knowledge
Livestock Management
Drought
Nomads
Iran

  • Abdullahzadeh, Gh., Azderpour, A., Sharifzadeh, M. S.( 2016). Studying the perception of villagers towards climate change and adaptation strategies in Zabul city. Geography and environmental planning. Volume 28, Number 4 Serial Number 68. Page 85-106.

    Alavi, Seyedzakaria., Mohammadpour, Mohammad., Ebadi, Dariush., Rajabzadeh, Inayat.,( 2018). Investigating the effect of drought on the condition of pastures in the Caspian vegetation area (case study of Cheshme Pol Sefid blue pasture). The 5th National Conference of Iran's Watershed Sciences and Engineering (Sustainable Management of Natural Disasters).

    Alizadeh, A., (2009). Principles of applied hydrology. Mashhad: Imam Reza University Press.

    Anonymous ., (2017). Nomadic face the results of the third socio-economic census of nomadic nomads on the website of Iran's Nomadic Affairs Organization. https://ashayer.ir.

    Arabiun, A. (2006). Indigenous knowledge: a necessity in the process of development and promotion. Scientific and Research Journal of Village and Development. 9: 81-136.

    Asgari,N.A, (2005). Animal husbandry in Alamut of Qazvin Province relying on Indigenousknowledge, Journal of Anthropology, 4th year, No4.

    Ashraghi, C., (1998). Indigenous knowledge and Development Planning, Journal of forest and Escobar, A.( 1995). Encountering development: the making and unmaking of third world. Princeton. Princeton University press.

    Ayuzi, M., Mosaedi, A., and Misbah, S., (2009). Investigating and determining the most appropriate climatic drought profile in Golestan province. The third national conference on comprehensive management of water resources, 20 and 21 September 2013. Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

    Badripour, H., (2018). Preparation for facing drought. The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions.

    Behzad, T., (2021). Reduction of 4 million tons of pasture fodder production due to drought. News interview with IRNA news agency. Department of Economy, June 23.News code: 84364823

    Bouzarjamhari, K., (2003). Analysis of the place of Indigenous knowledge in sustainable rural development. Geography and development ,1: 5-20

    Calvosa, C., Chuluunbaatar, D. and Fara, K., (2009). Livestock and climate change. International Fund for Agricultural Development. 20p.

    Chang, T. J. & Stenson, J. R., (1990). Is it realistic to define a 100-year drought for water management?, Water Resources. Bull., 26 (5), 823-829.

    Chang, T. J., (1991). Investigation of precipitation droughts by use of kriging method, Journal of Irrig. Drain. Engrg. ASCE, 117 (6), 935-943.

    Creswell, J. W., (2011). Qualitative research method and plan. Publication of Negha Danesh. Tehran. Page 29.

    Dracup, J. A., Lee, K. S., & Paulson, E. G. (1980). On the statistical characteristics of drought events, Water Resources. Research, 16 (2), 289-296.

    Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, and O.  Zolina, 2021: Water Cycle Changes Archived 2022-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I  to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1055–1210.

    Ehsani, A., Arzani, H., Farahpour, M., Ahmadi, H., Jafari, M., Jalili, A., Mirdavodi, H., Abbasi, H., Sadat Azimi, M., (2016). The effect of climatic conditions on pasture fodder production in the steppe region of Akhtarabad Saveh. Journal of Pasture and Desert Research of Iran,Volume 14, Number 2 - Serial Number. 249-260 pages.

    Eltahir, E. A. B. (1992). Drought frequency analysis in Central and Western Sudan, Journal of Hydrological Science, 37 (3), 185-199.

    Esmaili Sharif, Massoud., Ashraf Jafari, Ali., Ranjbari, Ahmed Reza., Ghajavand, Elham.,( 2018). Use of drought resistant species to produce fodder in drought conditions. The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions.

    Farajzadeh, Manouchehr., (2004). Drought from concept to solution. Tehran: Publications of the Geographical Organization of the Armed Forces, p. 5.

    Flick, Uwe .,(2010). An introduction to qualitative research. Hadi Jalili translator. Ni publication. 492 pages.

    Guba, E., & Lincoln, Y,S ., (1988). Do inquiry paradigms imply imply inquiry methodologies? In D.M. Fetterman ( Ed). Qualitative approaches to evaluation in education.( pp.89-115). New York: Preager.

    Heydari,G. Nabavi, S, J and Faghani, M.  (2006). The role of Indigenousknowledge of beneficiaries in the use of forage in summer rangelands, Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 59: 741-757

    Hartman, I. and Sugulle, A. J., (2009). The impact of climate change on pastoral societies of Somaliland, Candlelight for Health, Education & Environment, 62pp.

    IIRR., (1996) Recording and- using Indigenous knowledge: A manual IIRR international, institute of rural reconstruction, India. International Institute of Rural Reconstruction,.211 p.

    Ismailnejad, Morteza., Pudineh, Mohammad Reza., 2016. Assessment of adaptability to climate changes in the rural areas of South Khorasan. Natural Environment Hazards. Volume 6, Number 11, Serial Number 1. Page 85-100.

    Khayyam Nekoui, Seyed Mojtabi, Mohammadi, Reza, Arabnejad, Hossam, (2018). Increasing drought tolerance in tall fescue grass using symbiotic endophytic fungi. The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions.

    Khosravi, Mahmoud., Javadani, Razieh., Karimi, Sadegh.,( 2010). Determining the relationship between drought and changes in rangeland production in Sistan and Baluchistan province during the statistical period of 1991-2007 (case study of Iranshahr city). Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Geographers of the Islamic World.

    Kolawople, D. 2001. Local Knowledge Utilization and Sustainable rural development in the 21 St. Century, IK Monitor Article (9-1).

    Khodagoli, Morteza, Soltani Kopai, Saeed., 2009. The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions, May 31-30, 2018, Isfahan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center and Unforeseen Events Headquarters of Isfahan Governorate, Iran.

    Khodagoli, Morteza, Sabohi, Razia, Eskandari, Zabihullah., 2013. Analysis of the past trend and future prediction of drought in Isfahan province. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Techniques and Natural Resources, Water and Soil Sciences, 18(67), pp. 367-379

    Martin, R., Muller, B., Linstadter, A. and Frank, K. 2014. How much climate change can pastoral livelihoods tolerate? Modelling rangeland use and evaluating risk. Global Environmental Change.  1-20.

    Masoudian, Abolfazl and Kaviani, Mohammad Reza., 2007. Climatology of Iran, Isfahan: Isfahan University Press.

    Mishra, A. K. & Singh, v. p. (2010). A review of drought concepts, Journal of Hydrology, 391, 202 - 216.

    Modares, Reza, Khodagoli, Morteza., 2009. Regional analysis of rainfall trend in Isfahan province. The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions, May 31-30, 2018, Isfahan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center and Isfahan Governorate's Unforeseen Events Headquarters, Iran.

    Mohebbi, A., Hosseini Tavassol, Morteza., 2022. Familiarity with grounded theory and its application in rangelands management. First Edition. University Jihad of Tehran.

    Mohebbi, A .,2022. Management of herd composition, a solution to reduce excess livestock in pastures. Accepted article. Iranian Journal of Nature. Research Institute of Forests and Pastures of the country. 7 Pages

    Mohebbi, A., 2023. Analysis of Indigenous knowledge of nomadic pasture management . Research Institute of Forests and Pastures of Iran.

    Momeni, J. Ebrahimi, R.A and Fatemeh Jahromi, M., 2009.  Livestock behavior, Danesh Negar press, 1st Edition.

    Moshiri, S.R, 2001. The geography of migration, Samt Press, 5th Edition.

    Mesbah, Seyyed Hamid., Fakharizadeh, Elham., 2018. Irrigation, a solution to reduce the effects of drought in the Perziton basin of Firozabad, Fars. Place of publication: The second national conference on the effects of drought and its management solutions.

    Naseri, P, 2002. Indigenous knowledge and its necessity, Journal of Jihad, Number 22:254.48-62.

    Pinkeye, S. (1966). Conditional Probabilities of Occurrence of Wet and Dry Years Over a Large Continental Area, Hydrological Paper 12, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

    Popzan, A. and Afsharzadeh, N., 2010. Native mechanisms of pasture management of Kalhor nomads. Scientific and Research Journal of Pasture and Desert Research. 17(3):476-488.

    Rashid Nasab, Khodaafo, Ahmadvand, Mustafa, Sharifzadeh, Maryam. 2016. Analysis of awareness, attitude and behavior of nomads towards drought and how to manage it: the case study of  Darila area. Master thesis. Yasouj University, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

    Rezaei, Hossein .,2021. Effects of drought on pastures. Your exclusive conversation with Agna. October . News ID 69419

    Sabohi, Razieh, Barani, Hossein, Khodaqoli, Morteza, Abedi Sarosanif Ahmed, Tahmasabi, Asghar, 2017. Nomads' understanding and adaptation to the change of climate parameters in the Semiram region (Case study: Qashqai nomads, research on grasslands and deserts of Iran. :25, Number: 2 consecutive 71. Pages: 438-453.

    Santos, M. A. (1983). Regional droughts: a stochastic characterization,  Journal of Hydrology, 66, 183-211.

    Shah Hosseini, A.R, 2005.   Nomads of the Sangsari Tribe, from the shores of the desert to the heights of the Alborz Mountain, Bostan Andisheh Press, 1st Edition.

    , Zare Kia, Seddigeh and Mir Jalili, Ali Baman., 2018. Investigating management strategies during drought for pastoralists in steppe areas (case study of Teng Planar pastures in Yazd province). The 7th National Conference on Pasture and Pasture Management of Iran in May 2018-19.

    Warren, D.M. and Cashman, K., 1988. Indigenous knowledge for sustainable agriculture and rural development. London: International Institute for Environment and Development, Sustainable Agriculture Programme.

    World Bank.,( 1998). Indigenous Knowledge Definitions, Concepts and Applications. 44 pages.

    Yegangi Dastgardi, Vahid., Sharifzadegan, Mohammad Hossein, Mobarqai Dinan, Naghmeh., 2018. Assessing the effectiveness of organizational performance to adapt to drought, a case study: Jihad Agriculture Organization of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Publication: Iranian Irrigation and Drainage Journal. Volume: 13, Number: 5. Pages 1352-1362

    • Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Zanganeh, Mohsen. 2020. The influence of philosophy on economic methodology (a comparative study of conventional economics and Islamic economics). Epistemological Studies Quarterly in Islamic University. Year 24, No. 3. pp. 565-584.

    Zare Kia, Siddiqa and Zare, Nilofar., 2013. Investigating the effects of drought on the reduction of fodder production in central province pastures (case study: Saveh Qashlaghi pastures). The 9th National Conference of Iran Watershed Science and Engineering

journal of sustainable rural development
Volume 8, Issue 2 - Serial Number 14
Autumn and Winter
Autumn 2024
Pages 259-272