GRAZING LAND TENURE AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY:
A STUDY OF TWO CLUSTERS OF VILLAGES IN THE GAMBIA
A Thesis Presented to
The Faculty of Graduate Studies
of
The University of Guelph
by
LANCE W. ROBINSONIn partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of
Master of Science
December, 1994© Lance W. Robinson, 1994
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ABSTRACT
GRAZING LAND TENURE AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY:
A STUDY OF TWO CLUSTERS OF VILLAGES IN THE GAMBIALance W. Robinson
University of Guelph, 1994Advisor: Professor A.M. Fuller
To address perceived problems such as overgrazing and reduction in availability of uncultivated land, the Gambian government has been considering altering the traditional rural land tenure system. Any changes to the tenure system could affect security strategies that households rely upon. Research into grazing land tenure and livelihood security strategies in two clusters of Gambian villages showed that there are few restrictions on access to grazing land. It was also found that household security strategies comprise three successive "lines of defense": attempting to maintain current income (especially through diversification), relying upon the income of previous years (savings), and relying upon the income of others (credit). Relatively open access to uncultivated land, a source of forage for livestock and food and income for people, is crucial to these lines of defense; therefore, only gradual reforms to land tenure, with an emphasis on strengthening the capacity of local institutions, are recommended.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Credit for this work must, of course, be shared with the numerous people who helped me along the way. I would like to thank the staff of the Departments of Livestock Services and of Planning, both in the Gambian Ministry of Agriculture, especially Tamsir Bobb, Mamadi Ceesay, Momodou Lemon, and Demba Touray. I would also like to thank Mark Schoonmaker Freudenberger of the Land Tenure Center at the University of Wisconsin for his helpful comments, criticism, and advice. Thanks to my academic advisor, Tony Fuller, and my advisory committee who helped keep me going and encouraged me to demand a lot from myself. If there are any flashes of brilliance in this document, they deserve some of the credit. Any errors or omissions are solely mine. Lastly, thanks to my good friend Momodou Joof for being my family every time I go to The Gambia.
A NOTE ON FIGURES
The figures (maps, diagrams, etc.) have not yet been incorporated into this World Wide Web version of this document.
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