Influence of indigenous drought management strategies on the livelihood system of pastoralists in Mandera west sub county, Kenya

Abstract

Drought is a common occurrence in the arid and semi arid lands of Kenya. These frequent and recurrent droughts disrupt the livelihood system of pastoralists, increase their vulnerability and cause loss of livestock. The study aimed at establishing the influence of indigenous drought management strategies on the livelihood system of pastoralists in Mandera West Sub County in Kenya. The study intended to assess the effectiveness of indigenous drought management strategies adopted by pastoralists in Mandera West Sub County in Kenya and its influence on their livelihood system, commonly known as nomadic pastoralism. The target population in the study were pastoralist households and key informants selected from stakeholders involved in the development of the pastoralist communities in Mandera West Sub County in Kenya. The stakeholders included key government departments, institutions and non-governmental organizations in the area. The study employed descriptive survey design where data was collected, analyzed and interpreted for the purpose of comparison and clarification in order to assess the influence of existing indigenous drought management strategies on the livelihood system of pastoralists. The study applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches using household survey and key informant interview guides. Questionnaires were used to collect information from sample pastoralist households and interview and discussion schedules were held with selected key informants using purposive sampling method. Quantitative and qualitative data collected was analysed and cross-examined to establish its accuracy and reliability. Quantitative data was entered and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to obtain descriptive statistics based on frequencies and percentages to answer the research questions. Qualitative data was used to describe four indigenous drought management strategies in the research objectives. The research established that herd diversification was an appropriate survival drought strategy adopted by pastoralist herders in Mandera West Sub County in Kenya. These drought management strategies have increased the survival of the pastoralist households, reduced loss of livestock and have increased the pastoralists’ resilience to drought. The study has established that migration was an effective drought coping strategy adopted by pastoralists during the drought. 46% of the respondents migrated within their traditional grazing areas during the drought, where they moved their herds to relatively dry pastures and 33% preferred to migrate across the border into Southern Ethiopia. The study concluded that water and pasture scarcity had adverse effects on the survival of livestock during the drought and pastoralist households made timely decisions on when to move and when it was best to migrate and have established surveillance and traditional early warning systems that helped them in appropriate decision making. The study recommended the exploitation and establishment of water points and facilities across the grazing land, especially underground water to ease cconcentration of livestock around water points in close proximity to grazing lands which was causing degradation of the pasture land. The study also recommended the need for policy change in the management of communal grazing lands to increase pastoralists’ participation in conservation, protection and management of natural resources.