When deserts flood: risk management and climatic processes among East African pastoralists

Pastoral populations of East Africa confront multiple risks associated with drought, food shortages and insecurity. In this and 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 range-land 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.