How can restoring depleted rangelands sow the seeds of lasting peace?
Masol ward, located in the lowlands of West Pokot County, is one of the most marginalised regions in Kenya. It is home to the Pokot community, who depend on nomadic pastoralism for their livelihoods. Prone to soaring temperatures and below-average rainfall, the risk of prolonged droughts grows each year.
Despite the devolvement of the Kenyan governance systems in 2013, which intended to promote development and improve access to essential services across the country, Masol remains neglected and underserved. The area is challenged by poor infrastructure and limited health services, among other issues, and experiences severe poverty. Literacy levels are low, with many residents lacking any formal education.
The strong connection between overall development and the increasingly harsh and unpredictable weather patterns continues to adversely affect the community’s capacity to adapt, leaving them vulnerable to natural disasters.
Joshua Cheptolel, a youth leader from Masol, says:
Because of climate change, we have been impoverished by frequent fights with our neighbouring communities.
During times of scarce natural resources, pastoralists from West Pokot and neighbouring Baringo County set out searching for viable grazing lands, often crossing paths on the Turkana plains, where Turkana pastoralists are already tending their herds.
Protecting livestock
Traditionally, pastoralists from Masol depended on Turkana pastures as a last resort during severe droughts. However, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent. When grassland near their homes is exhausted and can no longer support their herds, pastoralists are forced to seek grazing areas elsewhere. These movements are often unplanned and urgent, driven in a desperate bid by pastoralists to protect their remaining livestock and their primary source of income.
Intense competition for resources has led to fierce conflicts among communities; naturally, everyone prioritises the protection of their animals, which results in frequent and violent clashes. Members of the Pokot community are often labelled as ‘aggressors’ for forcefully moving their livestock to the richer pastures of Turkana, although their actions are driven by necessity.
The situation is further complicated by unsustainable practices adopted by the community, including overstocking (keeping large livestock herds), felling trees for charcoal production and overgrazing, which leaves the land barren. Unpredictable weather conditions exacerbate the already fragile environment.
Amidst these challenges, as part of our Irish Aid-funded project, “Powering Peace Through Climate Action”, we embarked upon a groundbreaking, climate-focused approach to peacebuilding in collaboration with the community in Masol.
Cross-border conservancy
The programme provided training sessions that addressed important topics, including the connection between conflict and climate change, inclusive decision-making, and the development of locally-led adaptation plans. These efforts aim to build climate resilience and end cross-border disputes with Turkana communities.
Through the project, the Masol climate change planning committee and conservancy board, supported by community elders, sought to create positive change based on the outcomes of the training programme. They identified sustainable rangeland management as the most effective approach to addressing critical challenges facing the community, including re-establishing the Masol hills as a designated dry season grazing area. This aimed to ensure that local livestock had sufficient pasture, mitigating the need for pastoralists to cross the border and helping to prevent conflicts.
The community developed grazing by-laws backed by community elders, and national and county government administrators. The new laws restrict access to the rangelands during certain times of the year, such as the rainy season, to help the lands recover from overgrazing and drought. The by-laws address both natural resource scarcity and conflict, which has drawn overwhelming support from local people.
Yet, while local understanding of the links between climate stressors, loss of livelihood and increased conflicts grows, agency to act and adapt is limited by the ever-increasing negative effects of climate change and limited skills and funding for effective adaptation.
A conflict-sensitive approach to climate action
Despite Kenya’s involvement in African and global commitments to accelerate climate change adaptation, marginalised areas like Masol continue to face challenges. These regions need a targeted, flexible approach recognising the connection between climate issues and long-term peace.
The global climate movement must adapt by incorporating a conflict-sensitive perspective to bring about effective and sustainable change. Embracing a conflict-sensitive approach as part of climate action underscores the promise to ‘leave no one behind’. It also paves the way for the progress of the Paris Agreement by ensuring fragility and insecurity do not become impediments along the way.
