Programme Details:

In this millennium, drylands all over the world are faced with problems that present tough management, research and policy challenges. These areas cover about 40% of the earth’s land surface, and are home to more than 38%of the world’s population. People living in drylands constitute a large fraction

of the worlds poorest. Of the world’s most disadvantaged countries, according to United Nation Development Programme’s Human Development Index, over 50% are in dryland Africa. In Africa, two thirds of which is desert or drylands, 73% of the agricultural drylands are moderately to severely degraded. With a rate of disappearance of forest cover of 3.7 to 5 million ha per year bearing down on both surface and groundwater resources and with half the continent’s farmland suffering from soil degradation and erosion, Africa is under the greatest desertification threat The sustainable development of drylands and improvement of livelihoods in the drylands characterized by intense poverty is a priority development agenda in eastern and southern Africa. This will involve interventions targeting, inter alia,

increased production and livelihoods systems productivity, and water management options.

Entry Requirements:

i) Holders of a Master of Science degree in agricultural related disciplines, biological sciences, environmental sciences or in natural resource management or an equivalent qualification from an institution recognized by senate.

ii) Holders of Masters Degree in relevant social sciences recommended by the faculty board and approved by senate.

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Course Objective

i) To develop cadre of high level dryland specialists in academia, research and policy.

ii) To enhance productivity of natural resources through improved management based on sound understanding of dryland system interactions and dynamics.

iii) To develop site specific guidelines and information tools on suitable dryland resource use and management techniques for use by communities, extension agents and development specialists.

iv) To formulate recommendations for supporting policy decisions and promoting investments in agricultural innovation in Africa’s drylands.

Course Programme

Core courses

Dryland Ecology

Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

Dryland Livelihoods

Dryland Resource Economics

Philosophy of Dryland Resource Mgt.

 Agricultural Technology Development

Dryland Resource Policy

Theme 1 - Human ecology

Statistics for Social Sciences*

Human Rights and Gender Analysis

Social & Anthropological Research Methods

Marketing of Dryland Products

Project Planning and Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation

Dryland Biodiversity

Environmental & Social Impact Assessment

Elective courses

Theme 2 - Production systems

Statistics and Research Methods*

Integrated Production Systems in Drylands

Crop Production and Post Harvest Management Systems

Crop Improvement & Protection in Drylands

Animal Feed Resources in Drylands

Applied Economic Theory

Environmental & Social Impact Assessment.

*Compulsory elective cluster course

Theme 3 - Ecology & Environment

Statistics and Research Methods*

Integrated Production Systems in Drylands

Animal Feed Resources in Drylands

Watershed Management

Agro-meteorology and Modeling

Dryland biodiversity

Environmental & Social Impact Assessment