Title: Adapting Dryland Livestock Production to Meet Climate Change Challenges in Kenya
Abstract: Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands cover 82% of the country’s total land area, and host close to 70% of its livestock and 25% of its human population. In Ijara, a sub-county of Garissa, persistent drought and high temperatures repeatedly devastate livestock herds, which has lowered dependence on livestock as a source of livelihood by 21% over the last 10 years. This has left local pastoralists poorer and more vulnerable. Garissa county’s poverty index was recently calculated at 70%, compared with the national average of 48% (Government of Kenya, 2013). The local economy of Garissa revolves around livestock productivity, which has been hampered by factors including poor management, breed choice, and a lack of strategies to conserve feed. Looking to the future, climate predictions in Garissa indicate that mean temperatures will increase 3–4°C by 2100, which will lead to even less water being available for livestock and pasture production.
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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