Drylands and pastoralism

With research, training and advocacy, we help build climate resilience, productivity and equity in the dryland areas of East Africa, Ethiopia, the Sahel and Sudan

Also related to

Decentralising Climate Funds

Climate finance

Crops and cattle

Climate change and conflict - reframing the debate

Began April 2022

A seated woman talks animatedly to colleagues.

Remembering Nicole Kenton

15 February 2023

Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme

September 2022 - ongoing

Illustration of the outline of a herder herding their flock in front of buildings, with the words "Pastoralism in development" underneath

Pastoralism in Development: a learning journey – free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

Man and woman fill up jerry cans with water from a fountain

Water access in the drylands – what’s not working?

Claire Bedelian
11 November 2022

Man, wearing red and black and holding a stick, walks with cattle

Valuing a traditional lifestyle: how Maasai herders are being paid to protect nature and combat climate change

Jo Anderson
19 October 2022

A man hoeing ground that is dry and cracked.

Moving forward with communal land rights in Ethiopia: what are the legal solutions?

Nathaniah Jacobs and Daniel Behailu
24 June 2022

A man is surrounded by cattle on a dusty trail.

Mitigating farmer-herder conflict

April 2017 - March 2019

Related collections

Learn more about focused areas of IIED's drylands and pastoralism work

Drylands: building climate resilience, productivity and equity

A programme of work showing how IIED is building capacity to act on the implications of climate change for equitable and climate resilient development in the drylands

Mobilising money to where it matters

A programme of work helping to initiate a positive shift in the quantity and quality of climate finance reaching the local level to support locally-led solutions that address climate change, poverty and biodiversity loss

Publications

View more Drylands and pastoralism publications

20911g.pdf

Pastoralism in Uganda

20906g.pdf

Pastoralism and pastoral policy in Ethiopia

17763IIED.pdf

How have decentralised natural resource management institutions evolved over 20 years?

10208IIED.pdf

Farmer-herder conflict in sub-Saharan Africa?

7315IIED.pdf

Assessment of Desertification and Land Degradation in Arid and Semi-arid Areas, An

7279IIED.pdf

Decentralising Common Property Resources Management: A case study of the Nyaminyami District Council of Zimbabwe's Wildlife Management Programme

7270IIED.pdf

Drought Management: The farmers' strategies and their policy implications

7408IIED.pdf

Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Siaya District, Kenya

9183IIED.pdf

Land Tenure and Rural Development in Burkina Faso: Issues and strategies

12526IIED.pdf

Land and Water Rights in the Sahel: Tenure challenges of improving access to water for agriculture

Pastoralists pull water from a well near Denan in the Somali Region of Ethiopia for their camels. (Photo: Andrew Heavens, Creative Commons via Flickr)

Pastoralism and policy training: addressing misconceptions and informing dialogue

Active Project

WoDaabe pastoralists are one of the most mobile and specialised pastoral communities in the Sahel (Photo: Stephen Anderson)

Supporting pastoral mobility in East and West Africa

Archived Project

A male shepherdwith a stick leads dozens of sheep winding behind him on a dusty trail

Valuing variability

Article, 17 December 2012

A shot from the Herding Chaos film made by Saverio Krätli

Niger: Pastoral livelihoods and climate change adaptation

Project

A woman stands with three goats in shadow amid a dusty terrain

Introduction to drylands: building climate resilience, productivity and equity

Article, 17 December 2012

Pastoralists with their goats in Niger.

Why following the herd can be good for Kenyan media

Blog, 11 October 2012

A man leads a herd of camels with the sun setting behind them.

What’s in a narrative? In policy, everything or nothing

Blog, 28 September 2012

Man walking with two camels over a sandy landscape.

Food aid is needed desperately — but ultimately it's not the answer

Blog, 25 July 2011

The 'Diffa; The Morning Light' video is one of a series of videos exploring the impact of climate change on drylands pastoralists (Image: IIED)

Pastoralism videos/Vidéos pastoralisme

Article, 15 June 2011

Front cover of the journal Pastoralism journal: research, policy and practice

Pastoralism Journal: Research, Policy and Practice

Archived Project