On the arid rangelands of the Marsabit area of northern Kenya, the livelihoods of pastoralist groups are subject to threats from overgrazing, land use change, social instability, and climate change. Pastoralist Integrated Support Programme (PISP), a local NGO, has worked since 1996 to increase the number of water points that can provide safe and reliable water for livestock and people, while strengthening conservation of key wildlife species in Marsabit National Park and the wider area.

Efforts to improve grazing management and to diversify the income stream of pastoralists have helped to reduce pressure on natural resources and thereby lessen tensions between resource user groups, while the group has also held community dialogues and encouraged shared maintenance of water infrastructure to effectively address the ecological and economic stresses that threaten the pastoralist way of life.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2004

Founded: 1996

Location: Greater Marsabit, northern Kenya

Beneficiaries: Over 11,000 pastoralists

Biodiversity: Pasture conservation

 

Case Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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