Range Enclosures in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia: An innovative response or erosion in the common property resource tenure?

By Bokutache Dida

Rangeland enclosures and related issues of property rights in African grazing lands have received research attention since the 1980s (e.g. Behnke, 1985; Behnke, 1988), indicating gradual changes in the property right regimes. The changing scenarios make it important to assess enclosures within pastoral innovation systems in order to bridge the knowledge gap that exists in this aspect. This draft paper deals with rangeland enclosures (kaloo) in Borana and Guji Zones of Oromia Regional State, southern Ethiopia, in the context of growing resource use change. The paper attempts to provide an overview of the processes, trends, typologies, rationale, status and early impacts of enclosing the resources along with implications of the practice for resource tenure security. The data on which the report is based were collected through observation and interviews conducted with key informants during scoping visits to various reserved sites in Gorodola and Liban districts (Guji Zone), Arero, Yaballo, Dirre, Dillo, Taltalli and Moyale districts (Borana Zone) between February 2010 and February 2011. Preliminary findings show existence of enclosures in various forms, multiplicity of objectives and motives in enclosing lands and involvement of various wealth groups in rangeland enclosures in the study area, implying land fragmentation and decline in common property resource tenure.