» Perceptions of the Effects of Floods and Droughts on Livelihoods: Lessons from Arid Kenya

Product of CSTPR’s Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (RCRCCC) internship program

by Amy Quandt and Yunus Antony Kimathi

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
Vol. 9 Issue: 03, pp.337-351 (2017)

The purpose of this paper is to understand how people practicing natural resource-based livelihoods in arid Kenya perceive that their livelihoods are being affected by floods and droughts and how to integrate these local perceptions of impacts into larger-scale climate change adaptation initiatives and policy.

In Isiolo County, Kenya, 270 households were surveyed in seven communities, six focus group discussions were held and a document review was conducted.

Findings: The major livelihood practiced in Isiolo is pastoralism (71 per cent), but agriculture and non-agro-pastoral activities also play an important role, with 53 per cent of the respondents practicing more than one type of livelihood. In Isiolo, floods have a large impact on agriculture (193 respondents out of 270), while droughts impact both agriculture (104 respondents) and livestock (120 respondents), and more specifically, cattle-keeping (70 respondents). Read more …