IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v9y2025i15p712-720.html

The Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Food Security among the Rendille Pastoralist Households

Author

Listed:
  • Dan Adino

    (Department of Social sciences, Pwani University)

  • Rose Ondiek

    (Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, University of Nairobi)

Abstract

Climate change is the most serious threat to Sub-Saharan Africa’s food security with consequences particularly extreme in arid and semi-arid areas where pastoralists-based livestock systems are an important source of income. Drought has resulted in massive livestock losses in recent years with dramatic impacts on pastoral lives. The primary source of food insecurity in Marsabit County is climate change and variability. It affects the livelihoods and revenue streams of small-scale food producers by raising food prices and restricting access to food. This paper examines the impacts of climate change and variability on food security among the Rendille pastoralists in Marsabit with focus on food availability, accessibility, utilization and stability. Climate variability in Marsabit County has led to changes in the nutritional quality of some foods. Moreover, climate change and variabilities hinder the ability of pastoralists to feed their livestock leading to loss of their means of support and food insecurity.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Adino & Rose Ondiek, 2025. "The Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Food Security among the Rendille Pastoralist Households," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(15), pages 712-720, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:15:p:712-720
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-9-issue-15/712-720.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-impacts-of-climate-change-and-variability-on-food-security-among-the-rendille-pastoralist-households/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Breisinger, Clemens & Ecker, Olivier & Trinh Tan, Jean-François, 2015. "Conflict and food insecurity: How do we break the links?," IFPRI book chapters, in: 2014–2015 Global Food Policy Report, chapter 7, pages 51-60, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Felix Chari & Ozwell Muzinda & Cawe Novukela & Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu, 2022. "Pandemic outbreaks and food supply chains in developing countries: A case of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 2026188-202, December.
    3. Rebekka Schnitter & Peter Berry, 2019. "The Climate Change, Food Security and Human Health Nexus in Canada: A Framework to Protect Population Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Mario Herrero & Benjamin Henderson & Petr Havlík & Philip K. Thornton & Richard T. Conant & Pete Smith & Stefan Wirsenius & Alexander N. Hristov & Pierre Gerber & Margaret Gill & Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, 2016. "Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 452-461, May.
    5. Thornton, P.K. & van de Steeg, J. & Notenbaert, A. & Herrero, M., 2009. "The impacts of climate change on livestock and livestock systems in developing countries: A review of what we know and what we need to know," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 101(3), pages 113-127, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Assem Abu Hatab & Maria Eduarda Rigo Cavinato & Carl Johan Lagerkvist, 2019. "Urbanization, livestock systems and food security in developing countries: A systematic review of the literature," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(2), pages 279-299, April.
    2. Camila Bonilla-Cedrez & Peter Steward & Todd S. Rosenstock & Philip Thornton & Jacobo Arango & Martin Kropff & Julian Ramirez-Villegas, 2023. "Priority areas for investment in more sustainable and climate-resilient livestock systems," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(10), pages 1279-1286, October.
    3. Notenbaert, An & Pfeifer, Catherine & Silvestri, Silvia & Herrero, Mario, 2017. "Targeting, out-scaling and prioritising climate-smart interventions in agricultural systems: Lessons from applying a generic framework to the livestock sector in sub-Saharan Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 153-162.
    4. M. Melissa Rojas-Downing & A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi & Mohammad Abouali & Fariborz Daneshvar & Sabah Anwer Dawood Al Masraf & Matthew R. Herman & Timothy Harrigan & Zhen Zhang, 2018. "Pasture diversification to combat climate change impacts on grazing dairy production," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 405-431, March.
    5. Lenyeletse V. Basupi & Claire H. Quinn & Andrew J. Dougill, 2017. "Pastoralism and Land Tenure Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conflicting Policies and Priorities in Ngamiland, Botswana," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Shikuku, Kelvin M. & Valdivia, Roberto O. & Paul, Birthe K. & Mwongera, Caroline & Winowiecki, Leigh & Läderach, Peter & Herrero, Mario & Silvestri, Silvia, 2017. "Prioritizing climate-smart livestock technologies in rural Tanzania: A minimum data approach," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 204-216.
    7. Little, Peter D. & McPeak, John G., 2014. "Resilience and pastoralism in Africa South of the Sahara," IFPRI book chapters, in: Fan, Shenggen; Pandya-Lorch, Rajul; Yosef, Sivan (ed.), 2013 Global Food Policy Report, chapter 9, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Das Gupta, Amlan & Datta, Ashokankur & Gupta, Ridhima, 2025. "Higher temperatures and household nutrition: Evidence from India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    9. Birgit Habermann & Tigist Worku & Daniel Nigussie & Elizabeth Getahun & Shenkute Goshme, 2025. "Positive deviance in adaptation to climate change through farmer-led practices in the Ethiopian Highlands," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 178(9), pages 1-22, September.
    10. Dilshad Ahmad & Muhammad Afzal, 2021. "Impact of climate change on pastoralists’ resilience and sustainable mitigation in Punjab, Pakistan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 11406-11426, August.
    11. Jiangjun Wan & Xueqian Song & Yi Su & Li Peng & Shanta Paudel Khatiwada & Yawen Zhou & Wei Deng, 2019. "Water Resource Utilization and Livelihood Adaptations under the Background of Climate Change: A Case Study of Rural Households in the Koshi River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-15, September.
    12. Oliver Lazarus & Sonali McDermid & Jennifer Jacquet, 2021. "The climate responsibilities of industrial meat and dairy producers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-21, March.
    13. Pelaracci, Simone & Goglio, Pietro & Moakes, Simon & Knudsen, Marie Trydeman & Van Mierlo, Klara & Adams, Nina & Maxime, Fossey & Maresca, Alberto & Romero-Huelva, Manuel & Waqas, Muhammad Ahmed & Smi, 2025. "Harmonizing soil carbon simulation models, emission factors and direct measurements used in LCA of agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    14. Wassie Berhanu & Fekadu Beyene, 2015. "Climate Variability and Household Adaptation Strategies in Southern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-23, May.
    15. Naveen P. Singh & Bhawna Anand & S. K. Srivastava & N. R. Kumar & Shirish Sharma & S. K. Bal & K. V. Rao & M. Prabhakar, 2022. "Risk, perception and adaptation to climate change: evidence from arid region, India," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(2), pages 1015-1037, June.
    16. Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou & Luc Hippolyte Dossa & Sven König, 2021. "Sustainable Management of Animal Genetic Resources to Improve Low-Input Livestock Production: Insights into Local Beninese Cattle Populations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-20, September.
    17. Helen Harwatt & Joan Sabaté & Gidon Eshel & Sam Soret & William Ripple, 2017. "Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate change targets," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 261-270, July.
    18. Headey, Derek & Taffesse, Alemayehu Seyoum & You, Liangzhi, 2014. "Diversification and Development in Pastoralist Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 200-213.
    19. Jean-François Maystadt & Margherita Calderone & Liangzhi You, 2015. "Local warming and violent conflict in North and South Sudan," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 649-671.
    20. Huidan Xue & Yujia Zhai & Wen-Hao Su & Ziling He, 2023. "Governance and Actions for Resilient Urban Food Systems in the Era of COVID-19: Lessons and Challenges in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-25, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:15:p:712-720. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.