Behavior Profile: Farmers use grazing land management practices that improve soil and water availability and quality
Goal has not been set
Farmers use grazing land management practices that improve soil and water availability and quality

Behavior Analysis

Strategy

BEHAVIOR AND STEPS

What steps are needed to practice this behavior?

Farmers use grazing land management practices that improve soil and water availability and quality

  1. Learn about grazing land management practices that improve soil and water availability and quality
  2. Decide to use grazing lands sustainably
  3. Elect Grazing Land Management Committee
  4. Together with Grazing Land Management Committee, develop grazing land management plan
  5. Together with Grazing Land Management Committee, develop grazing land by-laws
  6. Use grazing land as recommended
  7. Contribute resources and labor for agreed grazing land management activities in the grazing land management plan
  8. Participate in collective community activities to manage the grazing land
  9. Adhere to grazing land by-laws
  10. Report back to the community and provide feedback to the Grazing Land Management Committee

FACTORS

What factors may prevent or support practice of this behavior?
Structural
Accessibility: [LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because there are no consistent community governance structures nor leadership for collective action and accountability for grazing land. There are unclear roles and responsibilities between regional development committees (RDC) and traditional leaders; village assembly under the village head is responsible for enforcement; many have limited capacity to carry out their role; some are viewed as corrupt
Accessibility: [LACK OF GRAZING LAND BY-LAWS] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because few communities have localized by-laws for communal grazing land
Accessibility: [LACK OF CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because there is a lack of or minimal enforcement of grazing land by-laws, when they exist. 80 percent of households may abide by the by-laws, but punishments are weak; people just apologize to the village head; For example, violators may pay village heads or traditional leaders separately to minimize fines. Traditional leaders, Forestry Commission, environment monitors may not consistently enforce grazing land by-laws because they understand farmers are trying to survive, satisfy their family's basic needs
Accessibility: [LACK OF TECHNICAL GUIDANCE/SOLUTIONS] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because they lack technical guidance on grazing land condition and carrying capacity with clear and feasible recommendations for action
Accessibility: [LACK OF GRAZING LAND PLAN] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because they lack a grazing land management plan that they can discuss, decide and implement
Accessibility: [NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION MANDATE FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS] Farmers may use grazing land management practices because traditional leaders can empower them to do so since the Traditional Leaders Act requires traditional leaders to control overcultivation, overgrazing, and the indiscriminate destruction of flora and fauna. However, some traditional leaders may not fully embrace this role or want this responsibility because it puts them at odds with some community members, requires enforcement
Service Experience: [SELECTIVE APPLICATION OF BY-LAWS] Farmers do not fully adhere to grazing land management practices because they have seen where others only selectively apply by-laws when it is convenient
Social
Norms: [FOCUS ON LIVESTOCK/LIVELIHOOD] Farmers do not use grazing land management practices because men do not participate in these communal activities since they are focused on their herd and livelihood pressures. Men prioritize cattle over everything else, including grazing land management, because it is their role, identity, wealth status and livelihood. Young men in particular are not engaged in communal activities because they are not invited, do not own productive assets and are focused on short-term income generation
Internal
Attitudes and Beliefs: [APPRECIATE NATURAL RESOURCES] Farmers may use grazing land management practices because most community members appreciate their natural resources both in terms of instrumental and intrinsic value, and need for balance in the ecosystem, and indigenous knowledge of natural resources
Knowledge: [RECOGNIZE GRAZING LAND AS NRM SOLUTION] Farmers may use grazing land management practices because most community members have a broad and deep understanding of environmental systems and their importance, and recognize grazing land management as a key issue to address. However, they do not know what to do about it

SUPPORTING ACTORS AND ACTIONS

Who must support the practice of this behavior, and what actions must they take?
Institutional
Environment Law Association (ELA): Support development of localized NRM by-laws including for grazing land
Community
Lead Farmers: Organize farmer groups to discuss grazing land condition, carrying capacity and recommendations, decide on action plan, and facilitate implementation
Male Peers: Serve as champions to promote and model an expanded role for men beyond their own livelihood to being custodians of grazing land
Traditional and Church Leaders: Engage community members on NRM and ways to achieve balance in the ecosystem and maintain livelihood, using motivating examples of how this is being done (or can be done) through involvement of women in decision-making and through men expanding their role to be custodians of grazing land in addition to cattle owners. Encourage adherence to full extent of the grazing land by-laws for everyone using a message of community cohesion and continual balance with nature.
Grazing Land Management Committees: Implement and monitor grazing land management in the community
Grazing Land Management Committees: Develop grazing land management plan and grazing land by-laws with communities based on grazing land carrying capacity and recommendations
Traditional Leaders: Embrace their National Resource Management (NRM) mandate as stated in the Traditional Leaders Act, learn about NRM topics and solutions, and play a leadership role in community governance for NRM, including championing development of localized NRM by-laws including grazing land by-laws, and working with community leaders and Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to enforce by-laws.

POSSIBLE PROGRAM STRATEGIES

What strategies will best focus our efforts based on this analysis?

Strategy requires Communication Support

Enabling Environment
Financing: Use Cash for Assets Program and in-kind grants to farmers who participate in grazing land management planning and implementation according to grazing land management recommendations, including gulley reclamation, removal of invasive species from pastures and soil/water conservation techniques. Use fines to contribute toward financing.
Institutional Capacity Building: Train Grazing Land Management Committees, Lead Farmers and farmers on basics of soil fertility, soil as a microbial ecosystem, and sustainable rangeland soil and water harvesting conservation practices, and on grazing land condition, carrying capacity and recommendations. Use successful examples such as rotational grazing land management to demonstrate connection between grazing land management and livestock health. Use this opportunity to demonstrate interconnectedness of livelihoods, health and nutrition to water availability, water and soil quality and natural resource management. Provide examples of how taking care of the watershed, eliminating open defecation, managing grazing land, forestry, and other natural resources will add to long term livelihood, health and nutrition of households and the community as a whole.
Community Governance: Conduct dialogue sessions with traditional leaders on their NRM mandate as stated in the Traditional Leaders Act, how best to structure NRM governance in the community (roles for RDC, EMA, Village Heads), on NRM topics including grazing land management (integrating indigenous knowledge with modern practices, as appropriate), and strategies for enforcing NRM by-laws based on their experiences in the community. Identify ways to enforce by-laws working together with community leaders and NRM monitors, and emphasizing with community members that grazing land management is one way to achieve balance in the ecosystem, replenish soil and water; message of community cohesion and unity. Include specific sessions about the importance of joint decision making and the role of women in NRM and bring in community examples where this is working well. Discuss opportunities to integrate youth in NRM activities, and co-develop plans with traditional leaders to implement one or two of these opportunities. Provide tools to support traditional leaders to share these NRM topics, community cohesion and unity message, and joint decision making examples with community members.
Community By-laws: Partner with RDC and ELA to support traditional leaders, Grazing Land Management Committees and farmers to create and adopt grazing land by-laws. Discuss enforcement options and roles, decide how enforcement will work in the community; ensure by-laws and enforcement plans are clearly stated and disseminated in the community.
Systems, Products and Services
Quality Improvement: Work with Watershed Cluster Steering Committee, traditional leaders, church leaders and Grazing Land Management Committees to implement one or two opportunities for youth to be involved in grazing land management activities. Use Cash for Assets Program to support these opportunities specifically for youth.
Quality Improvement: Assess grazing land condition, carrying capacity and recommendations for grazing land management practices, and disseminate through Watershed Cluster Steering Committee, traditional leaders, Grazing Land Management Committees and Lead Farmers
Process and Tools: Working with Grazing Land Management Committees, Lead Farmers and farmers, develop grazing land management plan based on agreed by-laws. Use successful examples such as rotational grazing land management to demonstrate connection between grazing land management and livestock health.
Demand and Use
Collective Engagement: Work with traditional leaders and church leaders and Grazing Land Management Committees to engage community members on NRM and ways to achieve balance in the ecosystem and maintain livelihood, using motivating examples of how this is being done (or can be done) through involvement of women in decision-making and through men expanding their role to be custodians of grazing land in addition to cattle owners. TO ENHANCE COLLECTIVE OPTIMISM AND AGENCY PROVIDE SOCIAL PROOF WITH RECOGNITION AND MODELING FOR SMALL STEPS AND CHANGES. Consider meeting with community groups separately - youth, elders, female youth, couples - to encourage dialogue and reflection. Use this opportunity to demonstrate interconnectedness of livelihoods, health and nutrition to water availability, water and soil quality and natural resource management. Provide examples of how taking care of the watershed, eliminating open defecation, managing grazing land, forestry, and other natural resources will add to long term livelihood, health and nutrition of households and the community as a whole. Encourage adherence to full extent of the grazing land by-laws for everyone using a message of community cohesion and continual balance with nature.
Collective Engagement: Engage men as positive role models and agents of change for their community who champion their expanded role as custodians of grazing land. Share motivating examples of how grazing land management can be done through involvement of women in decision-making.