Research

our research, learning and innovation agenda

To advance our agenda and mobilise evidence under each of our challenge questions, we manage a portfolio of different research activities. Our research is based on co-creation and facilitation of open innovation ‘labs’ where observatory partners, collaborators and a wider community of practice identify critical challenges and bottlenecks and, together, devise and test solutions. This research is delivered through doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, commissioned research, research calls and through collaborations. Focused on shocks and risks facing drylands and pastoralist communities, our research is clustered around four themes:
  1. Building resilience of drylands and pastoralists to shocks and risks
  2. Improving forecasting data and its use
  3. Advancing locally led early action against shocks and risks in drylands
  4. Rethinking early action to better manage shocks and risks facing pastoralists
Specific projects include:

Post-doctoral projects

PhD research at University of Edinburgh

Research ‘accelerator’ projects (2024-2025)

Observatory-commissioned research

Impact collaborations

External grant-funded research

For more information, contact Nathan Jensen

Read our research reports:

Weather and climate information services for pastoralists

With parthers, we reviewed evidence on weather and climate information services use by pastoralist communities.

Pastoral communities respond to drought – insights and lessons from northern Kenya

Sake Godana Duba’s thesis documents lessons of drought responses in pastoral communities in northern Kenya

Uncertainty, pastoral knowledge and drought early warning

Article exploring Kenya’s experience with early warning, early action and drought management