Climate change violent conflict and local institutions in Kenya’s drylands

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Climate change violent conflict and local institutions in Kenya’s drylands

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Climate change, violent conflict, and local institutions are deeply interconnected in Kenya’s drylands, where environmental stressors exacerbate social tensions and challenge community resilience. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and prolonged droughts intensify competition over scarce resources like water and grazing land, often escalating into violent clashes between pastoralist groups. Local institutions—including customary governance systems, community-based organizations, and government agencies—play a critical yet complex role in mediating these conflicts.

Traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms, such as elders’ councils and livestock-sharing agreements, have historically helped mitigate disputes. However, climate-induced resource scarcity strains these systems, sometimes overwhelming their capacity to maintain peace. Meanwhile, formal institutions often struggle with delayed responses or inadequate resource allocation, leaving gaps in conflict prevention and adaptation support.

Understanding these dynamics is essential for designing policies that strengthen both local and national frameworks for climate adaptation and conflict mitigation. Interventions that integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific resilience strategies may offer more sustainable solutions for Kenya’s vulnerable dryland communities.