Regional climate experts and community representatives have convened in Moyale in Mrasabit County as drought conditions continue to strain communities across northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.
The 5th Sub-Regional Climate Outlook Forum, organized under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) through its climate centre IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and its pastoral development body IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD), has brought together experts and community leaders from both sides of the Kenya–Ethiopia border to improve how weather information is shared and translated into action.
The meeting follows a poor October–December 2025 rainy season that left large parts of the cross-border region with below-average rainfall. Across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties including Marsabit, Turkana, Garissa, Mandera and Wajir, pasture conditions have deteriorated and water sources remain under pressure. National drought monitoring authorities and humanitarian agencies estimate that more than two million people in Kenya are now facing acute food insecurity as drought impacts deepen.
For pastoralist communities in the region, climate forecasts are not abstract data. They guide migration routes, livestock sales, water management and preparedness at household level.
Opening the forum, Dr. Guyo Roba the head of Drylands Development at ICPALD underscored the importance of making climate science locally relevant.
“Downscaling climate information to the local or cluster level is one step towards reaching the end user,” he said. “We must understand how communities utilise this information and ensure it drives better decisions. The Sub-Regional Climate Outlook Forum is one attempt towards achieving that goal.”
He further emphasized the need for stronger cross-border coordination in managing drought risks.
“Co-production of alerts and warnings between connected communities will help in joint planning and response to drought shocks,” Dr. Guyo noted. “It will also encourage joint cross-border investments that support livestock mobility and strengthen overall pastoral resilience.”
Livestock, traders and families move across Kenya and Ethiopia in search of pasture and opportunity. When drought affects one side, the impact is felt across the region.
As climate variability becomes more frequent across the Horn of Africa, regional cooperation and timely early warning systems are increasingly critical, ensuring that forecasts lead to early action and that communities are better prepared before drought conditions escalate.
The three-day meeting brought together meteorologists, drought monitoring agencies, livestock and agriculture officers, humanitarian organisations, development partners, media representatives and cross-border community leaders from the Marsabit–Borana cluster. The focus was to ensure that seasonal forecasts are simplified, localized and delivered in time to guide livestock movement, water planning and early response across the region.