Borana pastoralists’ indigenous climate-forecasting methods 

The paper “The use of indigenous climate forecasting methods by the pastoralists of Northern Kenya”, by Anastasia Kagunyu et al, published in Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice (2016), focuses on the early-warning signs of climate variation used by Borana pastoralists in Isiolo County to predict the onset of rainfall, floods and droughts – and the efficacy of these methods. Data were collected through secondary sources, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation. The many indigenous early-warning signs used by the Borana included the behaviour of animals and birds, presence of insects, clouds, colour of the intestines of slaughtered livestock, dream interpretation, flowering of plants and the pattern of stars. The increasing severity and frequency of drought over the last decade has rendered indigenous forecasting less reliable than in the past. Early warning of weather changes helps the community apply the most appropriate coping strategy when faced with natural calamities. The study recommends combining the indigenous early-warning indicators with modern forecasting methods.

The paper can be found here.

Posted on 8 November 2016 in Pastoralism & Climate Change, Pastoralism & Natural Resources