Description

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 Nino’ 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.