Little attention had been paid to the realities of life in the Savanna-Sahel of West Africa before the drought of 1968-74, but this book, originally published in 1984 provides a set of authoritative accounts of the way in which the inhabitants cope with what outsiders perceive as a harsh environment. The peoples of the Savanna-Sahel are shown to be developers of strategies and technologies to manage their resources. Their understanding of the environment enables them to contribute substantially to any plans for economic and ecological recovery in the region. Their cooperative modes of life lead to greater social complexity and capacity for survival. Geographers, anthropologists and social historians should find the interdisciplinary human ecological approach of the book appealing. Development economists and rural planners will find the chapters on land-use patterns, and resource use particularly valuable.
Edited by:
Earl Scott
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781032744810
ISBN 10: 1032744812
Series: Routledge Library Editions: Water Resources
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 03 April 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
1. Introduction: Life and Poverty in the Savanna-Sahel Zones Earl P. Scott 2. Power, Prosperity and Social Inequality in Songhay (1464-1591) Lansiné Kaba 3. Life Before the Drought: A Human Ecological Perspective Earl P. Scott 4. Nomads, Farmers and Merchants: Old Strategies In a Changing Sudan Andrew W. Shepherd 5. Differential Development in Machakos District, Kenya Marilyn Silberfein 6. The Demise of the Moral Economy: Food and Famine in a Sudano-Sahelian Region in Historical Perspective Michael J. Watts 7. Changing Land-Use Patterns in the Fadamas of Northern Nigeria Beryl Turner 8. The Fulani in a Development Context: The Relevance of Cultural Traditions for Coping with Change and Crisis Paul Riesman
