Drought Coping Mechanisms among the Turkana Nomadic Pastoral Community of Ilemi Triangle Region of Northern Kenya

Abstract

Drought has remained a major disaster that has contributed to a higher vulnerability among the mobile pastoral population because of its slow onset and accumulative impact over period. Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Diseases (CRED) has quantitatively provided that Kenya has experienced about 19 droughts from 1989 to 2010. These drought scenarios are mainly in arid and semi-arid areas where Turkana belongs but the Turkana nomadic pastoral population has been surviving in such harsh environment where humanitarian assistance is barely absent. Therefore, the researcher in the objective prompts to ask, and find out how this pastoral community do survive and cope with this repeated drought in such isolated and tough environment. The studies available for this region have concentrated mainly to specific areas of Turkana without touching Ilemi triangle belt in Northern Turkana areas that is more prone to droughts. The study utilises multiple research design and a multistage random, purposive and quota sampling methods. The qualitative and quantitative data were analysed and the findings indicated that migration remain the most common method of coping with drought and it recommended for the supporting of the traditional coping mechanisms and promoting viable programs that support livestock and livelihoods.