Pastoralists address the fundamental issues of risk and uncertainty head-on by incorporating them into all aspects of their social, political and economic organization. The flexibility and adaptability of pastoral systems take varied and complex forms. This paper considers risk reduction strategies and recuperative mechanisms among the WoDaaBe pastoralists in Niger. It examines how the poverty of these Sahelian pastoralists limits the efficiency of their risk avoidance and recuperative strategies, including mobility, reciprocity and redistribution, management of herd size and structure, species diversification, herd splitting, breeding strategies, and the digging of shallow wells. Historical changes that affect recuperative capacity are then assessed in terms of their impact on capital (livestock) and labour availability. Herds insufficient for household subsistence are shown to lead to labour shortages, which in turn restrict risk reduction strategies. Vulnerability and uncertainty are thereby increased. Recent national and international developments which add to the conditions of uncertainty currently faced by WoDaabe pastoralists in Niger are then described. Fieldwork was carried out from 1979 to 1983 and in 1986. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in French and Spanish.
