Pastoral communities and drought: a scoping review of drought hazards and management practices

Drought is a major environmental hazard that significantly affects pastoral communities and threatens their livelihoods and ecosystems. This scoping review synthesizes existing knowledge on drought hazards and management practices among pastoral communities, following the PRISMA-ScR framework. A total of 55 peer-reviewed articles were selected from the Scopus database. The results highlight challenges posed by drought, including livestock loss, food insecurity, and displacement. Management strategies were categorized as preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation. Preparedness strategies included cultural integration, Indigenous knowledge, education, early warning systems, and income diversification. Mitigation strategies encompassed livestock mobility, grazing management, herd size management, and water and forage management. Recovery and rehabilitation strategies involved insurance mechanisms, reforestation programmes, humanitarian and economic aid, health and nutrition interventions, and livelihood rehabilitation. The review concludes that proactive and community-based strategies are essential for strengthening drought resilience. It recommends integrating Indigenous knowledge into drought management to promote culturally appropriate and effective practices.