Management of Effects of Drought by Pastoralists of El-wak, Mandera County of Kenya

Abstract

Pastoralism is the main source of livelihood for about 120 million people who keep cattle, camels, sheep and goats in the drylands of the world, which are characterized by low and erratic rainfall and frequent droughts. This study examined effects of drought on pastoralists of El Wak in Kenya’s Mandera County and how pastoralists managed such drought episodes. The study also set out to achieve four specific objectives: (i) Identify effects of recurring droughts on pastoralists of El-wak since 1999; (ii) Establish strategies employed by the pastoralist households of El-wak to manage the effects of recurring droughts;(iii) Determine whether strategies used by pastoralists to manage recurrent droughts had been changing from one drought to another, and; (iv) Suggest possible evidence-based interventions that pastoralist households of El-wak could use to manage effects of recurring droughts. The study employed a cross-sectional study design and data were collected from a random sample of 102 households using a questionnaire...