New Forms of Pastoral Mobility among Sheep Herders in the Algerian Steppe; the Case of Pastoralists of Djelfa

New Forms of Pastoral Mobility among Sheep Herders in the Algerian Steppe; the Case of Pastoralists of Djelfa

The recent socio-economic, political and climatic changes experienced by the Algerian steppe for the last decades have led to profound changes in pastoral mobility practices. This study describes the new mobility practices as currently adopted by the breeders of the Djelfa region. The realization of 59 semi-directive surveys was conducted between 2014 and 2016 among breeders in different reception areas. Practices related to the distance travelled during an annual cycle, the transhumance calendar and itinerary and the passage or not in the homeland are diverse. These practices of mobility can vary from one year to another or during the life of a breeder. This study shows an adaptability of long-term mobility to the changing context of the Algerian steppe, a result that contradicts other findings on the abandonment of mobility by pastoralists under the effect of the tightening of space and the settlement of pastoral populations.