Conflict and cooperation: understanding the spectrum of coping strategies amongst pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. In Handbook on Gender and Security

The well-being of pastoralist groups, especially those living in arid and semi-arid areas, has
received increasing attention from academics, policymakers and NGOs in the past decade. The
main reason for this is the intensification of armed violence within these groups and between
pastoral and sedentary communities in the Horn of Africa. While some forms of inter-group
violence, such as cattle raiding, are accepted as long-standing ‘traditions’ among pastoralists
(Buchanan-Smith and Lind 2005; Davies and Bennett 2007), the number of casualties as a
result of such raids has been on the rise due to the wider availability of small arms (Mkutu
2007; Raleigh and Urdal 2007), alongside economic and political insecurities (Benjaminsen
and Ba 2009; Berhanu and Beyene 2015; Herrero et al. 2016; Okumu et al. 2017; Catley et al.
2016). Frequent droughts, rainfall variability, and the resulting competition over pastures and
water have further intensified resource-based conflicts in Northern Kenya (Opiyo et al. 2012;
Raleigh and Kniveton 2012), fostering a policy narrative around enabling and strengthening
the adaptation capabilities of pastoral communities to ensure human security and well-being.
Defined as the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, to moder-
ate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities (IPCC n.d.), adaptation measures have included
savings schemes, diversification of livestock and investing in children’s education alongside
strengthening local governance systems in areas inhabited by pastoral communities. The ele-
ment of conflict, however, has been side-stepped within the adaptation discourse, and it was
only at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) that the Climate, Relief, Recovery, and Peace
Declaration recognized the dimension of conflict within a climate platform (COP28 2023).