Environmental and social impacts of mining-related activities on pastoralists livelihoods in Moroto district, Uganda.

Abstract

Pastoralism is coming under growing pressure from mining-related activities, wildlife conservation, infrastructure and crop farming often linked to changing land tenure systems. This study aimed at assessing the environmental and social impacts of mining-related activities on pastoral livelihoods. The data for this study comprised of both primary data gathered through a household semi-structured questionnaire using Kobo toolbox and google forms; and secondary data sourced from peer reviewed articles, geospatial information was sourced from Uganda Bureau of Statistics; all these data were entered, analysed using Microsoft Excel, SPSS and QGIS. The results enhanced understanding of natural resource use conflicts that have fuelled environmental and social impacts. Traditionally, pastoralists use planned grazing patterns to create ecological balance as well as balance the nutrient needs of their livestock. Unfortunately, the dawn of extractives (mining-related activities) in Karamoja and especially in Rupa sub-countyhas created a dire shift in pastoral grazing patterns. For example, in Naput grazing area, livestock no longer takes a turn to the East grazing routes as they have been largely occupied by huge industrial and commercial mining companies including MIA Marble, Sund belt and Hima cement. These mining companies have taken up major water sources and fenced off some grazing resources such as salt leaks and nutritious pastures thus reducing the quality of pasture and consequently shrinking of grazing space as informed by the chi-square test results (p=0.025<0.05). This has at times created conflict between pastoralists and mining companies. Moreover, the security installations in mining companies such as the use of huge foreign dogs scare away pastoralists and their livestock. This study also found out that across pastoralist communities, the main climate variabilities and changes that have been perceived include more erratic and reduced rainfall, rise in temperatures and prolonged/frequent droughts. These changes have therefore meant that pastoralists move longer more frequently and increased administration borders, competing land uses that have accelerated natural resource use conflicts, have exacerbated this. In conclusion, this study underscores the need for joint land use planning avenues amongst the various land users; to reduce natural resources use conflicts; government, mining companies and civil society actors ought to prioritise more investment in water for production across cattle corridors; and informs development of policies to govern rangeland use alongside competing land uses.