Farmers and herders living in the drylands of Africa and the Middle East are used to dealing with uncertainty. But their resilience is being tested by new and complex challenges.
In this podcast series, broadcaster Bola Mosuro talks to researchers, aid workers and herders about some of the new crises facing the drylands and the dynamic ways in which people are responding to meet them. She asks: what does long-term resilience look like in these fast-changing places? How are pastoralists and farmers adapting and innovating? And what can governments, development organisations and businesses do to more effectively support them?
One thing is clear: the drylands are more dynamic than you might think.
This series is produced by Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC), a six-year research programme managed by Cowater, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mercy Corps and ODI and commissioned by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The podcast is produced by Loftus Media Ltd.
For more information, visit www.sparc-knowledge.org/dynamic-drylands-podcast or find us on X (@SPARC_ideas).
Note: This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Farmers and herders living in the drylands of Africa and the Middle East are used to dealing with uncertainty. But their resilience is being tested by new and complex challenges.
In this podcast series, broadcaster Bola Mosuro talks to researchers, aid workers and herders about some of the new crises facing the drylands and the dynamic ways in which people are responding to meet them. She asks: what does long-term resilience look like in these fast-changing places? How are pastoralists and farmers adapting and innovating? And what can governments, development organisations and businesses do to more effectively support them?
One thing is clear: the drylands are more dynamic than you might think.
This series is produced by Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC), a six-year research programme managed by Cowater, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mercy Corps and ODI and commissioned by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The podcast is produced by Loftus Media Ltd.
For more information, visit www.sparc-knowledge.org/dynamic-drylands-podcast or find us on X (@SPARC_ideas).
Note: This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Pastoralism is increasingly seen as a problem in the drylands: perceived as old-fashioned, unproductive and fundamentally incompatible with modern-day developments. This episode of Dynamic Drylands shows that this is far from true: pastoralists are adaptable, resilient and innovative.
Ken Otieno, executive director of the Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE), discusses how pastoralists' way of managing natural resources is increasingly competing with new developments in the drylands—and how governments can work with them. And Mark Kaigwa, founder and CEO of research and creative agency Nendo discusses pastoralists' social media and phone use.
With the UN’s International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists beginning in 2026, and increasing threats to pastoralists' ways of life, the role of pastoralism in modern-day Africa is more timely than ever.
Host: Bola Mosuro. Contributors: Ken Otieno and Mark Kaigwa.
Dynamic Drylands is produced by the research-to-action programme Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC). SPARC is managed by Cowater International in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mercy Corps, and ODI Global. This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.