Practices and information needs of transhumant herders in a context of uncertainty in the alibori-dosso cross-border area (Benin, Niger)

Dry related to climate change and insecurity in the Sahel and West Africa may affect the information needs and practices of pastoralists. Knowledge of these practices and information needs is necessary to design and deliver information services that support their resilience. A structured questionnaire including dichotomous, multiple choice and open-ended questions was used to interview 1008 herders, including 530 agropastoralists and 498 pastoralists in Benin and Niger, and eight focus groups were organized on this issue. The results showed that the majority of herders seek information through several sources, with a preference for herders' organizations (64.65% of transboundary transhumants) and elders (52.52% of nationals). More than half of the herders surveyed use simple cell phones and reported significantly (P < 0.01) needing information on a local scale (54.13% of national transhumants), a reduced time step (weekly to decadal), an affordable cost (1 to 30 F CFA) and accessible by phone on natural resources, animal health, mobility conditions and security conditions. This information can be used to design relevant information services, for which we recommend taking into account the environment and the socio-cultural context of the herders.