Impact of Drought on Food Security in West Pokot County, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract-Drought and food security are of global concern and require urgent interventions to ensure that they do not jeopardize the lives of many people and the ecosystem. West Pokot County is among the most prone counties to droughts that threaten food security in the area; this is exacerbated by climate change. The main objective of this study was to examine the impact of drought on food security in West Pokot County. The study used mixed research designs including descriptive survey and evaluation. Respondents were identified through random and purposive sampling methods. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 398 respondents randomly selected from different strata of the stakeholders in the drought management and food security sector. Interview guides were used to collect data from key informants and focus group discussions. Quantitative data obtained from relevant institutions was analyzed using SPSS package. The results reveal that 96% of the respondents who planted maize had no harvest during the recent drought of 2015, 2.6% of the respondents who planted sorghum received some harvest, while 32% indicated that growing of drought tolerant crops and limiting the portion size at meals time were suitable coping strategies used to reduce effects of drought on food security. These results are useful in developing mitigation measures to reduce risks from drought and enhancing the communities’ resilience to drought and food insecurity.