The Constraints and Prospects of Pastoralists Seasonal Migration in Gambella Region: The Case of Itang Special District

Abstract The pastoralists cross the territory with their herds as they migrate periodically between the forests and Baro River bank. The aim of this study was to evaluate the challenges and opportunities presented by the seasonal migration of pastoralists in the research area. Then, simple random samplings and purposive samplings were employed. Moreover, 278 chosen pastoral homes were used to gather the quantitative and qualitative data. The data was gathered using the focus group discussion, interview schedule, and document analysis techniques. The data were analyzed using percentage, frequency, and the chi-square test. The findings revealed that the pastoral households had to deal with ongoing war, poor physical infrastructure, a lack of non-farm developments, a shortage of water resources, and widespread livestock diseases in their home regions. Similarly, pastoral households have increased their resilience, promoted social cohesion, and maintained rangelands in their final destinations by obtaining a growing amount of animal products. The seasonal migration of the pastoralists thus brings about a variety of surprises and opportunities in the district.