Impact of Climate Change on Pastoral Communities and Range Resources at Sennar Locality - Sudan

Abstract

The study was carried out in Sennar locality. The study aimed to assess the impacts of climate change on pastoral community and rangeland resources in Sennar State. Three villages were selected from the state namely Al Auar, Fangoga AlJabal and Almuhamadyea (Aulad Mahala), form the unit of Refi West Sennar, Sennar locality. The sample size was about 5% of the total population of pastoralists in the three villages. A questionnaire was designed according to the objectives of the study in order to collect information from the studied community. The data were analyzed using the statistical analysis program SPSS version 20 in order to find out the mean and significant differences. The study found that in previous, the majority of respondents 76.7 % said there was appropriate income, while recently, there were just 54.9% confirmed that the income in appropriate situation. The amount of rain has increased recently, according to the opinions of the respondents, but the poor distribution of rainfall resulted in disturbing floods, which negatively affected the pastoral community. The majority of pastoral communities were semi sedentary represent 27.4%, the change of life patterns of pastoral communities as a result of changing in climate factors and their behaviors. The majority of respondents confirm that the animal mortality 95.7% increase in the beginning of autumn. Most respondents 50.8% were feed their animals by commercial fodder, 25.4% of them selling part of herds to minimize the number of animals, 12.3% of pastoralist in range site change their animal types into more adaptation of forage shortage. The study concluded that, the impact of climate change strongly affects the plant and animals in rangeland. There are other adaptive strategies used by pastoral community used to avoid fodder scarcity such as change of their source income from animals to agriculture. The study recommended to raise the awareness of pastoral communities, and care with the education, adoption of climate changes strategies and mitigates their impacts.