Improving the participation of agro-pastoralists in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction policy formulation: A case study from keiyo district, Kenya

Abstract

Growing scientific evidence suggests that climate change will accelerate weather extremes and increase human vulnerability to disasters. Exposure of agro-pastoralists to erratic rainfall and cyclical droughts leads to frequent crop failures and livestock losses, with additional shocks from economic perturbations and erosion of household assets depriving this vulnerable group of “insurance” against adverse risks, driving them from a state of vulnerability to destitution. Despite the growing global agitation to mainstream community-based strategies for climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Kenya, existing institutional and policy formulation processes rarely incorporate the views and experiences of agro-pastoralists. This leads to policies that are neither responsive nor accountable to vulnerable groups. This paper identifies existing community strategies for CCA and DRR in Keiyo district and assesses their level of participation in policymaking, as well as key challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming agro-pastoralist involvement in policy formulation. The data was obtained through participatory approaches involving focus group discussions (FGDs), questionnaires and structured interviews. It is evident from the findings of the study that while agro-pastoralists have developed localised strategies for CCA and DRR, these are not fully recognised by existing government policy processes. Therefore, efforts should be made to mainstream the participation of agro-pastoralists in CCA and DRR policy formulation processes.