In the drylands of Africa, pastoralists have been facing new challenges, including those related to environmental shocks and stresses. In northern Kenya, under conditions of reduced rainfall and more frequent droughts, one response has been for pastoralists to focus increasingly on camel herding. Camels have started to be kept at higher altitudes and by people who rarely kept camels before. The development has been understood as a climate change adaptation strategy and as a means to improve climate resilience. Since 2003, development organizations have started to further the trend by distributing camels in the region. Up to now, little has been known about the nature of, reasons for, or ramifications of the increased reliance on camels. The paper addresses these questions and concludes that camels improve resilience in this dryland region, but only under certain climate change scenarios, and only for some groups.

Data on carbon stocks in pastoral ecosystems is important for assessing their contribution for offsetting emissions of greenhouse gases through carbon storage. Such data also provides baseline information to determine if pastoral grazing management can be engaged for carbon credit trading. Real and accurate carbon data is scarce. Much of the available data is often based on limited assessment of carbon stocks in a specified range unit, which fails to capture the spatial and temporal heterogeneity that characterizes pastoral ecosystems. In this study, we considered heterogeneity of semi-arid pastoral ecosystems of northern Kenya by aggregating sample results taken during wet and dry seasons and from various landscape types. We found average carbon stocks of 93.01 ± 15.72 tonnes ha−1 across landscape types and seasons. The measured amount of stored carbon is sufficient to have an important contribution in controlling the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases; it also indicates a potential to improve pastoralist livelihoods through carbon credit trading. However, more research would be required in order to qualify pastoralists for carbon credits since the data collected in this study is not sufficient to determine the change in carbon storage by grazing practices. In addition, uncertainty in the value of carbon credits needs to be considered to avoid relying on a risky prospect.

It has not been easy to capture landscape level grazing parameters through participatory assessment and monitoring of rangeland quality. Disagreements exist on what indicators to use and how the generated data can be linked to management-related information and whether the methods can be replicated across different grazing areas. Rangeland quality assessment and monitoring has hence focused on conventional scientific methods while the role of indigenous ecological knowledge of local herders has been given less emphasis. This study explored Borana herders' knowledge of assessing and monitoring rangeland quality at landscape level in Marsabit Central District in northern Kenya. A number of participatory methods have been used, including focused group discussion, key informant interviews and a joint field survey. We established that Borana herders have a considerable ecological knowledge which focuses on livestock-based indicators at the level of classified landscapes. The herders' personal experiences and social memory further provided an environmental history of grazing landscapes and their perceptions of rangeland quality change. The herders' knowledge can be integrated with conventional ecological methods to assess and monitor rangeland quality.

Understanding rainfall pattern in the face of increased climate variability and change is crucial in determining management strategies for the associated risks. Analysis was performed for a 50‐year rainfall data (1961–2010), collected on a daily basis from a meteorological station located in central Marsabit, northern Kenya. The data was computed for yearly rainfall pattern and changes in the yearly number of rainy and dry days. The results showed a reduction in yearly rainfall totals by more than 500mm and an increase in the yearly number of dry days by 19.6. The pattern is likely to affect crop and livestock production unless adaptation measures are identified and supported.

Context Stratified cattle production (SCP) systems, which involve buying lean animals from pastoral areas and fattening them in locations that have better production conditions, are re-emerging in Kenya’s drylands. Aims This study investigated how pastoralists in the drylands of Kenya endeavour to fulfil cattle marketing requirements under the SCP systems. Methods Purposefully identified cattle fattening entrepreneurs in Tana River (n = 10) and Narok (n = 12) counties were interviewed on the requirements they demand in buying animals from pastoralists. Using the information generated from the entrepreneurs, pastoralists (Tana River, n = 10; Narok, n = 12) were interviewed on how they respond to the entrepreneurs’ requirements and make sales. The information was triangulated with a focus group discussion in each county whose members were knowledgeable traders and pastoralists. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, randomly selected pastoral households (Tana River, n = 86; Narok, n = 69) were interviewed on cattle sales made through SCP systems. Key results The results showed that under the SCP systems, pastoralists in the two counties were required to sell cattle of particular qualities, comply with unpredictable supply orders, sell in secondary markets or near urban centres, use sale agents and undertake high commercial off-take rates if the demand arose. To meet these requirements, the pastoralists devised several strategies and practices, including changes in the animal husbandry practices, keeping ‘emergency’ animals in the home-based herds to comply with unpredictable demands, arrangements with market intermediaries to sell in secondary markets and building buyer–seller trust to facilitate sales through agents. In adopting these practices, pastoralists in both counties managed to sell approximately one or two animals per household through the SCP systems over a period of 12 months, which accounted for ~28% of the annual commercial cattle off-take from the households. Conclusion Pastoralists change their management practices in response to livestock marketing requirements and challenges, enhancing their integration into the market economy. Implication The information could guide stakeholders to formulate strategies for improving pastoralists’ involvement in cattle marketing through SCP systems.