From 12 to 16 April, the Second Drylands Summer School on ‘Rethinking pastoral development in the face of persistent uncertainty in the drylands’ brought together brought together practitioners, government representatives at the national and county levels, researchers, civil society actors and development partners from Kenya and beyond.
Following last year’s school for masters and PhD students, this school for practitioners aimed to challenge old misconceptions about pastoralism and open up more grounded, practical and inclusive ways of thinking about dryland development. It was supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and co-convened by the Centre for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD) and the Observatory.
Reporting on LinkedIn, our colleagues at CRDD explained how the learning journey for pastoralists was grounded in critical reflections and key lectures, including by Professors Gufu Oba and Ian Scoones who unpacked historical framings and new narratives around drylands and pastoralists.
Across these engagements, a powerful consensus emerged: pastoralism is not the problem, but a highly adaptive and resilient system that has long been misunderstood and undervalued. Mobility, variability and local knowledge are not constraints, but critical assets that sustain livelihoods across drylands.
The Summer School surfaced urgent structural challenges, including policy biases toward sedentary systems, fragmented financing and weak alignment between governance levels. In response, participants co-developed a clear pathway for change, calling for integrated, system-based approaches that connect land, livestock, water, environment and security, while centering community realities.
Key outcomes include a strong push for long-term, flexible financing, strengthened local leadership and coordination, investment in pastoral economies and mobility infrastructure and a shift in narratives to reflect pastoralism as a viable, future-facing system.
The message is clear: the evidence already exists. What is needed now is alignment, accountability and bold action to support pastoral systems from within.
More:
Download the summer school presentation by Tahira Mohamed: Why institutional actors, interests and policy networks are key in rethinking humanitarian and development for pastoral areas.
Acknowledgements
The ‘Second drylands summer school’ – Rethinking pastoral development in the face of persistent uncertainty in the drylandsexploring local constructs of resilience in the face of shocks and uncertainties in the drylands – was held in Isiolo, Kenya from 12-16 April 2026. It was co-organized by the Center for Research and Development in the Drylands and the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action with financial support from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research and Community Jameel.