Assessment of the Influence of Formal and Informal Insurance on Pastoral Resource Cooperation for Drought Management in Samburu Central Sub-county

Abstract

Recurring violent conflicts among pastoralists in Samburu County portend greater susceptibility to the adverse effects of climate shocks, particularly droughts. The combined problems of conflict and climate shocks threaten the pastoralism livelihood. The study set out to assess the role of formal and informal insurance methods in promoting resource cooperation during resource scarcity among pastoralists in Samburu Central sub-County. The study sought anchorage on the resilience theory, particularly the socio-ecological resilience model. The cross-sectional research design employed a mixed methods primary data collection approach from a sample of sixty-nine household respondents. A focus group discussion, four key informants, participatory resource mapping, and field observations. The study found that barely a third of the surveyed households had ever purchased an Index Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) policy. The study inferred that IBLI uptake thrived amidst well-endowed social networks, as kin-remittance (50%) was the largest source of IBLI purchase finances. The contribution of IBLI to resource cooperation was found to be insignificant, given the low uptake, product awareness and trust amid adverse drought and conflict effects. Droughts had occasioned social instability due to competition while bearing environmentally harmful coping strategies. These factors aggravate pastoral mobility conflict, resource scarcity, and drop-out. This suppresses pastoralism’s social-ecological resilience while dampening resource cooperation prospects. Additionally, the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) (28.1%), deteriorating local governance (23.1%), and telecommunication growth (24.7%) aggravate hostilities. The study recommends a holistic reestablishment of a socio-ecological resilience-oriented resource governance framework. Further research on bundling conflict mitigation with early warning and preemptive risk management strategies is recommended.