Impacts of Prosopis invasion on livelihoods of Afar pastoralists

Scientists in Haramaya and Addis Ababa Universities in Ethiopia made a study on “Impacts of woody invasive alien plant species on rural livelihood: generalized propensity score evidence from Prosopis spp. invasion in Afar Region in Ethiopia” (published 2018 in Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice 8, article 28) to assess the impact of Prosopis invasion on the livelihoods of Afar pastoralists and agropastoralists. The households’ annual per capita consumption expenditure was used as a proxy for rural livelihoods. Many poorer households in the area seek alternative sources of livelihood by converting Prosopis into charcoal for sale, but the reduction in available pasture with high levels of Prosopis invasion reduces income from livestock.

The analysis was based on survey data collected in 2016 from 250 households in the Afar National Regional State in Ethiopia. It was found that, at initial levels of Prosopis invasion, the plant’s impact on livelihoods was positive, but the impact became negative with higher levels of invasion. The results suggest that containing Prosopis invasion to a density less than about 20% of an area may benefit the livelihoods in the area. Strategies to manage the invasive species should take into account the invasion levels at each locality and the current socio-economic and ecological benefits of the plant, instead of regarding its complete removal as the only solution.

Posted on 17 December 2019 in Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition