Dr. Mohammad Nafees
Pakistan is home to diverse forms of nomadism, each with unique characteristics, challenges, and vulnerabilities. However, the term ‘migration’ often refers to all movements, making it difficult to distinguish between them. This leads to a one-size-fits-all approach to supporting these communities during climate-related disasters. In reality, common nomads, nomadic pastoralists, grazing communities, and those displaced by extreme weather events have distinct needs and require tailored support. This oversight can exacerbate the vulnerabilities of these already marginalized groups, as the strategies for saving each group will be different. This discussion aims to unpack the differences between these forms of nomadism, with a focus on nomadic pastoral systems, to inform more effective and targeted support strategies during climate-related crises.
Common nomad are those who live in search of a suitable place because of poverty. Such nomads go to a place where livelihood opportunities are available. They usually stay longer in a particular place where their employment is going on. These people usually live in huts. Climate change impacts, such as heat waves, temperature fluctuations and flooding has a direct impact on them. The second type of nomadism is movements between two pastures. They continuously move between two pastures under a particular system. This is also called transhumance. Pastoralism is their livelihood, they rear cattle, goat and sheep and live on it. Climate change affects them in two ways, one on them directly and the other on their pastures and animals. The third type of nomadism is occurring from climate change which is suitably termed as migration or climate change induced migration. In which the entire village on a large scale moves from one place to another. This is how it is seen when the duration of the heat wave is prolonged or flooded. In case of floods, they are trying to save their families, whereas in the case of heat wave, they move their goods from one place to another to save the cattle and other animal. If seen, climate change threatens all types of homelessness. To deal with each them properly, it is necessary to study in depth all types of nomads.
Rearing sheep and goats is an integral part of economic activity in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, especially in the northern mountains. Nomadic or mobile herders have unique characteristics, which not only enhance the public economy but also support rangeland ecosystem in terms of nutrient cycles, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, watershed protection, adaptation to climate change, and other environmental services. In northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two types of transhumance or nomadic based pasture systems have been in practice for many centuries, namely short-distance and long-distance transhumance. Short-distance transhumance move between the top and bottom of a mountains within the valley of the mountains, and are mainly associated with agriculture. They are called agricultural shepherds or agro-salvo shepherds. They rear cows, buffaloes as well as goats and sheep. Such communities can be found in Kaghan, Naran and Kalam areas. Long-distance transhumance do not own land and are homeless, who are only associated with livestock, and mostly rear sheep and goats. They move between summer (alpine) pastures and winter (plains).
Long-distance transhumance have been under constant threat since1980. Due to which their numbers have shown a declining trend. If this trend continues, Pakistan will not only lose the livestock production system from an important traditional and most profitable business but will also affect the meat, milk, wool and leather market. At the same time, an important eco-friendly economic activity will be lost forever.
Landless mobile herders are primarily sections of society whose livelihoods depend either entirely or for a large part on the livestock economy and rear livestock by grazing in natural rangeland and forests. Natural rangelands and forestlands are then private or community-owned, and or state-owned. In which there is no safe fixed period for grazing or home. They differ from other grazing groups (agriculture shepherds) that are small farmers and partly depend on the livestock economy from the natural range and forested areas. Agriculture shepherds have choices, they either go for a short-distance mobility in the summer or live in the village. The economic contribution of herders to national GDP has neither been well explored nor the true extent of the population or the families involved in different types of herding systems have been well researched.
However, a review of the University of Peshawar’s Environmental Department’s research project on landless herders indicated the involvement of 7,400 landless long-distance mobile goats/sheep herds (rewars), with a population of more than 50,000 and contributing to the meat market. Their goats/sheep account for more than 6 billion rupees (US$63.2 million) as annual GDP from Hazara and Malakand areas. The total population involved in various herding systems is much higher and their share in GDP is apparently very important, but its record is not maintained properly. However, it has been felt that the share of pastoralists in their livelihoods and cultural, social, economic and biological benefits for the nation is decreasing. This is because these pastures face the challenges of population growth and their grazing lands being taken away for other uses. They have limited capacity to properly manage their livestock and their ranges as well as food resources in a rapidly changing environment. Decisions regarding livestock management and their forage resources are not well-coordinated with research. To find sustainable productivity methods and expand social, economic and livelihood options for herders. Livelihood models, health, education, and the institutional mechanisms of various pastoral systems are underestimated and their research is still a new field.
The Author is department of environmental sciences, University of Peshawar
