Building Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Community Resilience Against Drought in the Context of the Paris Agreement: The Case of Isiolo County, Kenya

Abstract

Kenya is a climate-vulnerable country already experiencing adverse sector-wide climate change impacts with significant implications on socioeconomic development. In recent years, the frequency and severity of climate change-induced droughts in the country have had significant adverse effects on the natural resources in the fragile arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). This has inhibited natural regeneration and recovery of the ecosystems and human communities. Recurrent droughts have contributed to crop and livestock losses, water scarcity, resource-use conflicts, and the resultant threats to livelihood support systems. In view of this, the country has established climate change legislative and policy measures, made institutional strides to access climate finance, and developed and submitted its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Further, there are ongoing initiatives in disaster preparedness at both national and county levels in spite of the myriad challenges.

This chapter expostulates that enhancing the resilience of pastoral communities in Kenya’s rangelands to droughts can be achieved through identification and implementation of relevant actions in Kenya’s NDC and the National Adaption Plan in tandem with county and community actions, measures, and strategies. Experiences in some counties show that resilience building is a multi-stakeholder collaborative process and up-scaling is possible. This chapter is important because it reinforces the huge potential for ASALs in meeting Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contribution with a particular focus on linking science, policy, and practice with a special emphasis on gender and conflict management.