Livestock Policy Hubs in the IGAD Region

Introduction

The IGAD region, with its estimated population of 230 million people, stretches over an area of 5.2 million square kilo meter that comprises the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Some 70 percent of the IGAD region is made up of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which receive less than 600 mm
of rainfall annually. The rest of the region has a great variety of climates and landscapes including cool highlands, swamp areas, tropical rain forests and other features typical of an equatorial region. Furthermore, the region possesses diverse ecosystems and agro-ecological zones at different altitudes ranging from 150 meters below sea level (Daluol) to about 4600 meters above the sea level (Mount Kenya).