The ecological, socio-economic and political constraints on pastoralists’ access to water, Blue Nile state (Sudan)

After discussing the main issues pastoralists in Sudan face for what concerns land access, the article focuses on two issues. First, the practices of pastoralists regarding the use of available water resources in Blue Nile State are examined; and second, in the context of an examination of pastoralists’ various livelihood strategies, stress is placed on political (nonecological) drivers, such as the recent creation of an international border. The critical issue of access to water (an essential resource for pastoralists and their herds) needs to be recognised, and to be examined not just in terms of ecological factors, but also in relation to economic competition and the political and violent conflicts that affect the area.

The article was originally published by JSTOR.