An agent-based model to study land allocation policies and their effect on pastoral and territorial dynamics in the Ferlo (Senegal)

Authored by Alassane Bah, Ibra Toure, Christine Fourage, Ibrahima Diop Gaye, Gregoire Leclerc, Arame Soumare, Alexandre Ickowicz, Amadou Tamsir Diop

DOI: 10.1684/agr.2010.0383

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: CORMAS

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

The present state of the landscapes and territories in the Sahel is the result of interactions between climatic, economic, social and political factors which have been taking place for more than four decades. In the north of Senegal, the Ferlo geographical space is representative of cohabitation between sylvopastoral and agricultural production systems, within which the pastoral activity is maintained under conflictual conditions as traditional complementarities between agricultural and pastoral production systems, or between pastors and communities, tend to deteriorate under land pressure. Such pressure operates for a variety of often divergent goals displaying tangible transformation indicators with social economic and environmental conversion such as illegal land access plurality, disputes and trouble in land allocation, landscape fragmentation and agricultural territory and pastoral restructuring. It is also within this framework that territory decentralisation and development policies have transferred to stakeholders the power to administer, exploit and manage natural resources and lands under their jurisdiction so as to strengthen local governance and respond to sustainable development needs of production systems. The experiment shown in this case study deals with the process of co-building and setting up tools and simulation models in order to accompany and instruct decision making by local communities responsible for applying the law 64-46 of 06 June 1964. The different steps of this participative approach leading to the “AIDA” agent model design and scenarios have been put forward, tested and evaluated by the users.

Tags

Multi-agent systems Senegal modelling Pastoralism land policies