Access to Land and Water in the Zamfara Reserve. A Case Study for the Management of Common Property Resources in Pastoral Areas of West Africa

In this paper, the link between traditional rights of access to land and water and present day practices is established and illustrated. Data collected during various studies in the Zamfara Forest Reserve, northwest Nigeria, provided information on the different resources utilized (land, pastures, water) and the views and practices of different user-groups and stakeholders. The findings are discussed with a view to improving existing common property resource management (CPRM) in the area.