From Conflict to Coping: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia on the contributions of peacebuilding to drought resilience among pastoralist groups

 Within the search for reliable evidence on programs and policies that work to
strengthen resilience among pastoral groups in the Horn of Africa, the potential
contributions of peacebuilding have not been widely considered or studied. To
help fill this knowledge gap, Mercy Corps recently undertook research into the
links between conflict and drought resilience within the context of its programs
in Southern Ethiopia.
The study provides strong evidence of the contributions of peacebuilding
programming to pastoralists’ abilities to productively cope with and adapt to the
recent drought. The findings showed that the improvements to freedom of
movement and access to water, pasture, and other natural resources brought
about by Mercy Corps programs were key contributing factors to households’
drought resilience.
The results lend validity to the broad theory of change examined by the study:
Pastoralists in areas that have seen increased peace and security are
more likely to have opportunities to employ effective livelihoods coping
strategies, thus reducing their vulnerability to and aiding their recovery
from extreme droughts.