Getting it started: Understanding livelihoods to reduce the vulnerability of pastoral communities - synthesis paper
This paper states that livelihood diversification has been essential to spread the risk of food insecurity and cope with the changing nature of hazards in pastoral areas in Africa. The study on which this Synthesis Paper is based argues that the increasing vulnerability to food insecurity that pastoralists face stems from the failure to put the protection of pastoral livelihoods at the centre of emergency preparedness, planning and response mechanisms.
It asserts that if urgent action is taken early in a crisis to protect livelihoods, the effects of drought on pastoralists can be mitigated and the need for a massive emergency response to save lives can be reduced.
The study also argues that, in order to be effective, emergency preparedness and planning must continue to improve both the timeliness and appropriateness of interventions, through the effective use of early warning systems and contingency planning. These should not be seen as emergency instruments, but rather as a means of managing predictable risks in pastoral areas and ensuring the protection of livelihoods.