When deserts flood: risk management and climatic processes among East African pastoralists

Abstract

Pastoral populations of East Africa confront multiple risks associated with drought, food shortages and insecurity. In this arid region, drought is a 'normal' event and herders pursue strategies of mobility, livestock loaning and diversification to combat its effects. What is not a norm are prolonged floods when precipitation cycles become inverted and dry season rainfall greatly exceeds the average amount for a year. This article examines the events and responses to 'El Nio' in the rangeland areas of northern Kenya and southern Somalia during 1997/98. It suggests that these global climatic episodes need to be assessed against local factors and processes, which strongly shape their impacts on human populations.