Risk Assessment of Traditional Strategies, Values and Practices of Pastoralists to Climate Change and Variability: A Case of West Pokot County, Kenya

The study was undertaken in Kongelai Ward, West Pokot County, because of its vulnerability to changing and erratic rainfall pattern which has adversely affected pastoralism. It focused on better understanding of climate change and variability on two climatic factors, rainfall and temperature, in order to provide insights on pastoralists’ risk management adaptations at a micro-level using Indigenous Knowledge. Pearson chi square test was performed to test the hypothesis on whether there is an association between climate variability and change, and traditional strategies, value and practices utilized by the Pokot pastoral community. Both primary and secondary data was used. Household questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and key informants interviews were used to collect primary data at household and community levels. Primary data (through questionnaires) was collected from a sample survey whereby Nasuirma model formula was used to arrive at the sample size of 98 households taken from 5,596 households. Multi-stage sampling technique was used, and information obtained was analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics.. ？The results indicated that 100% of the respondents have heard and experienced effects of climate change and variability on their localities.94% of the farmers still use Indigenous knowledge on agriculture/livestock keeping, prediction of different weather patterns and food preservation techniques in the management of their farms. The indigenous signs and strategies used for coping with climate change and variability were different between the pastoralists and agro pastoralists. Some Positive indigenous strategies that are being practiced by agro pastoralists included; use of organic manure, crop rotation, traditional food preservation methods, use of ash to preserve the seedlings, agro forestry, irrigation, planting of appropriate crop varieties, preservation of pastures, application of organic and inorganic fertilizers and soil and water conservation while pastoralists use separation of livestock to control breeding, use of traditional herbs to treat animal diseases and migration of livestock, planting of drought tolerant crops, rain water harvesting, keeping of drought resistant animals and management of pest and diseases.The FGDs further indicated that women from pastoral areas prefer other strategies in coping with drought such as use of shallow wells to draw water, separation of livestock to control breeding as compared to the men who prefer migration of animals during drought in search of water and pastures.The nomadic