The impact and response to drought among Turkana pastoralists. Implications for anthropological theory and risk research

Abstract

This article considers the impact and response to drought among the Turkana pastoral people of northwestern Kenya and argues that in the desert regions of East Africa drought should be considered a part of the normal climatic pattern, instead of an unusual event. The author uses case studies to demonstrate the importance of understanding the social relevance of drought. Mobility is a key adaptive strategy to mitigate the effects of droughts. However, in a severe drought, shepherds may loose most of their livestock and it is only through a system of social relations that livestock is redistributed to those who are most in need. Thus, the social organization of the Turkana is impossible to understand without appreciating how they respond and recover from droughts.