ABSTRACT

This book looks at how people in the semi-arid conditions of the Sahel cope with their harsh environment. It draws on four years of field research with farmers in the Sahelian region and builds on work with these communities over several decades. Reporting on studies of four village communities, it shows how people work to achieve sustainable livelihoods and emphasises that there can be development without disaster.

chapter 1|13 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|22 pages

Diversity, Flexibility and Adaptability

chapter 3|17 pages

Four Communities, Four Systems

chapter 4|23 pages

Negotiating the Rain

chapter 5|22 pages

Working Nature

chapter 6|21 pages

Making the Land Work Harder

chapter 7|30 pages

When Farmers are not Farming

chapter 8|18 pages

Women, Children and the House

chapter 9|24 pages

Understanding Inequality

chapter 10|14 pages

Managing the Managers