As Pastoralists Settle

The Social, Health, and Economic Consequences of Pastoral Sedentarization in Marsabit District, Northern Kenya ERICABELLA ROTH AND ELLIOT FRATKIN 1. INTRODUCTION Formerly nomadic livestock-keeping pastoralists have settled in many regions of the world in the past century. Some groups, including those in the former Soviet Union, Iran, and Israel, have settled in response to state-enforced measures; others including Saami in Norway or Bedouins in Saudi Arabia, in response to changing economic opportunities. East Africa, home to many cattle- and camel-keeping pastoral societies, has been among the most recent to change. The shift to sedentism by East African pastoralists increased d- matically in the late 20th century as a result of sharp economic, political, demographic, and environmental changes. Prolonged drought, population growth, increased reliance on ag- culture, and political insecurities including civil war and ethnic conflict have all affected the ability of pastoralists to keep their herds. Still, the majority of pastoralist households in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Tanzania remain committed to raising livestock, even as they adapt to farming or urban residence. Pastoral production remains a major economic focus in the savannas and scrub deserts of Africa, due to both its ecological adaptability and the economic incentive to market livestock and their products (Fratkin, 2001). Pastoralists settle for a variety of reasons, some in response to ‘pushes’away from the pastoral economy, others to the ‘pulls’of urban or agricultural life.

From the reviews of the first edition:

"This book brings together chapters on various research projects in the semi-arid Marsabit district in northern Kenya. ... The chapters cover a variety of issues on aspects of human welfare ... . Overall the book is a set of fascinating accounts that demonstrate the difficulties in conceptualizing and measuring ‘development’ let alone in devising interventions to improve people’s lives in marginal semi-arid lands." (Sara Randall, Population Studies, Vol. 60 (3), 2006)

"This book is a compendium of studies on the pastoralists of Northern Kenya ... . This book combines state of the art review with primary research ... . is a milestone in our knowledge and understanding of contemporary pastoralism in sub-Saharan Africa in general, and of the biosocial correlates of sedentarization for women and children in Northern Kenyan pastoralist groups in particular. It will be of importance to researchers, students, policymakers, and practitioners in African drylands development." (Katherine Homewood, Human Ecology, 2006)