Climate, conflict, and displacement: Shifting patterns in the Horn of Africa arid lands

The research team will develop a 10-year prospective cohort study of climate, conflict, and displacement in two neighboring regions in the Horn of Africa Arid Lands. We will leverage preliminary findings, strong local partnerships, and our multidisciplinary team to develop a sustainable research program that can ultimately improve the health and resilience of climate-displaced communities. Analyses of ethnographic pilot data from Turkana County, Kenya suggest a complex story of drought, violence, livelihood loss, migration, decentralization, emerging extractive industries, population pressures, ethnic and refugee tensions, hunger, opportunity, and of course, resilience. We will collect similar data from the neighboring Karamoja Region in Uganda. The Karamojong share similar livelihoods, conflicts, and climate challenges as their Turkana neighbors, although Ugandan national structures and land policies differ. These data from both regions, one on each side of the Kenyan-Ugandan border, will help inform the strategies to develop a large prospective cohort study and identify further funding mechanisms.