cattle herd at dawn

Karamoja Resilience Support Unit

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) was an initiative of USAID/Uganda aimed at increasing resilience and economic development in Karamoja.

The KRSU worked closely with the Karamoja Development Partners Group (KDPG) to provide reviews, assessments and analyses of development and humanitarian programs in Karamoja, and related policy issues, with a focus is on translating evidence and knowledge into practice. The project also provided coordination support to the KDPG and Ministry of Karamoja Affairs, and various regional and district-level bodies in Karamoja.

The project was implemented by the Feinstein International Center, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, at Tufts University, with offices in Kampala and Moroto, Uganda, and ran from 2015 to 2024.

This website archives the KRSU publications covering a range of development and humanitarian issues in Karamoja, during a period when the region experienced COVID-19 restrictions, a return of conflict and humanitarian crisis. The website also provides access to KRSU policy and evidence briefs, the Pastoralism and Policy Training Course, and papers from the international conference Pathways to Resilience in the Karamoja Cluster, held in Moroto in May 2019.

 

AKLDP Ethiopia

IGAD

IIED

Agrilinks

Future Agricultures Consortium

African Union

Karamoja Development Forum

USAID

Irish Aid

Feed the Future

Papers published in Pastoralism:

Introducing pathways to resilience in the Karamoja Cluster. Andy Catley, Elizabeth Stites, Mesfin Ayele & Raphael Lotira Arasio. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 28 (2021)

Commentary: Reflections on resilience in the Karamoja Cluster over 40 years. Darlington Akabwai. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 29 (2021)

Friendship, kinship and social risk management strategies among pastoralists in Karamoja, Uganda. Padmini Iyer. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 24 (2021)

Sugar industrialization and distress selling of livestock among the Bodi pastoralists in Ethiopia’s lower Omo valley. Fana Gebresenbet. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 22 (2021).

Effects of development interventions on pastoral livelihoods in Turkana County, Kenya. Gregory Akall. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 23 (2021)

Trauma, loss and other psychosocial drivers of excessive alcohol consumption in Karamoja, Uganda. Padmini Iyer & Elizabeth Stites. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 30 (2021)

The role of culture in influencing sexual and reproductive health of pastoral adolescent girls in Karamoja sub-region in Uganda. Stella Achen, Peter Atekyereza & Charles B. Rwabukwali. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 25 (2021).

Applying livestock thresholds to examine poverty in Karamoja. Andy Catley & Mesfin Ayele. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 27 (2021).

Community engagement in pastoralist areas: Lessons from the public dialogue process for a new refugee settlement in Turkana, Kenya. Cory Rodgers. Pastoralism volume 11, Article number: 26 (2021)

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The Guidelines for Participatory Water Management and Development in Karamoja, Uganda, were developed to improve the planning, development, and management of domestic and livestock water sources, using an easy-to-use 3-phase,...

Adrian Cullis, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• August 2024
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In 2023 the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit conducted a participatory review of rangeland and water issues and facilities in Karamoja.

Anthony Egeru, Simon Peter Longoli, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• April 2024
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A genuine localized approach to early warning should shift the approach to more of a partnership and co-acceptance of the strengths and weaknesses of indigenous and conventional systems.

Simon Peter Longoli, Anthony Egeru

• April 2024
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To gauge understanding of how KRSU’s work benefits and is utilized in Karamoja, a rapid review was conducted in November and December 2023. The review involved face-to-face interviews with a...

Chantelle Pattemore, Pius Sawa, Justin Yarga

• December 2023
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This analysis is motivated by the concerns of international donors and other stakeholders regarding the persistent challenges in advancing educational outcomes for the majority of the population in the Karamoja...

Elizabeth Stites

• February 2024
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Water and rangeland resources are the basis for livestock production in pastoralist areas of Africa and therefore have major impacts on pastoral livelihoods. Households with insufficient access to water or...

Anthony Egeru, Simon Peter Longoli, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• August 2023
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An effective early warning system (EWS) is a prerequisite for timely response to avert and mitigate the impacts of disasters that affect pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities. Whereas there exist various...

Oliver V. Wasonga, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• November 2022
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This real-time review aims to document the events that led to Karamoja’s hunger crisis in 2022, the reporting of the worsening situation by early warning systems, and the responses of...

Raphael Lotira Arasio, Adrian Cullis

• November 2022
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In July 2022 the Ugandan media reported that 900 people had died of hunger or hunger-related diseases in the Karamoja sub-region since February 2022, and that 8 out of 10...

Raphael Lotira Arasio, Adrian Cullis

• November 2022
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After nearly 10 years of relative peace, conflict and insecurity returned to the Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda starting in 2019. This assessment investigates this resumption of conflict and insecurity...

Raphael Lotira Arasio, Elizabeth Stites

• October 2022
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This knowledge synthesis focuses on violent conflict in the Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda. While violence and conflict both can and do take many forms, this synthesis takes as its...

Elizabeth Stites

• October 2022
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This briefing paper focuses on education among those pursuing livelihoods as pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, and particularly on the education of girls in those communities.

Caroline Dyer

• September 2022
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This scoping report investigates barriers, benefits, and “terms of inclusion” for girls’ education in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda.

Elizabeth Stites, Barbara Athieno, Caroline Dyer

• September 2022
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This report describes the impact of lifting COVID-19 restrictions on rural livelihoods in Karamoja, Uganda.

Raphael Lotira Arasio, Mesfin Molla

• August 2022
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The government-directed disarmament within Karamoja has increased peace and security within the region. However, this newfound restfulness has encouraged the introduction of hard liquor to the area, as outside markets...

• May 2022
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Livestock play a key role in Karamojong livelihoods, but factors ranging from policies and price trends to greater competition and can increase food insecurity and livelihood instability. Livestock disease is...

• May 2022

Pastoralism plays a key role in many Karamojong livelihoods. However, policies are not designed to aid its sustainability and success, as the sector is often incorrectly viewed as ‘backwards’, uneconomic...

• May 2022

Malnutrition and stunting have been significant concerns in the East and Horn of Africa for decades – and are now affecting adults as well as children within pastoralist communities. Despite...

• May 2022
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The Karamoja sub-region in northeast Uganda is a semi-arid area with an economy that is based on livestock production. However, Karamoja is the most food-insecure area of Uganda and has...

Yacob Aklilu

• January 2022
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In the history of Karamoja, drought has been one of the most important types of disaster, with major impacts on livelihoods. For livestock-owning households, drought can push both wealthy and...

Yacob Aklilu, Edward Okori, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• July 2021
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This brief investigates the changing nature of alcohol production, sale and consumption in Karamoja, Uganda since disarmament.

Padmini Iyer

• March 2021
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Livelihood systems in the Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda have undergone substantial changes in the past two decades due to a number of interlinked processes, including disarmament and improved security,...

Elizabeth Stites

• February 2021
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In 2018, the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit conducted a study to calculate the “direct use” value of livestock in the sub-region.

• November 2020
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This technical report describes the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda, based on field assessments in Amudat, Moroto and Abim Districts.

Raphael Lotira Arasio, Andy Catley, Mesfin Ayele

• August 2020
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This report calculates the direct use value of livestock in Karamoja Sub-region, Uganda.

Roy Behnke, Raphael Lotira Arasio

• July 2019
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This textbook is a general reference on pastoralism theory, practice, and policy. It enables students and other readers from various professional backgrounds to understand how pastoralism functions as a system,...

David Claeve Waiswa, Basil Mugonola, R.S. Kalyango, Samson Opolot, Emmanuel Tebanyang, V. Lomuria

• June 2019
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the East African Pastoralism and Policy Course...

Irene Nampiima, Ced Hesse, Charles Hopkins

• May 2019
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the East African Pastoralism and Policy Course...

Irene Nampiima, Ced Hesse, Charles Hopkins

• April 2019
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the East African Pastoralism and Policy Course...

Irene Nampiima, Ced Hesse, Charles Hopkins

• February 2019
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the Pastoralism, Policy and Practice Course. The...

Irene Nampiima, Ced Hesse, Charles Hopkins

• November 2018
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the Pastoralism, Policy and Practice Course The...

• June 2018
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The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU), in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), commissioned the adaptation and roll-out of the Pastoralism, Policy and Practice Course. KRSU...

• March 2018
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This report describes a participatory analysis of malnutrition in children and mothers in Karamoja, focusing on the seasonality of livelihoods and food availability, and on causes of malnutrition. A key...

Andy Catley, Raphael Lotira Arasio, Charles Hopkins

• November 2018
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In pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households in East Africa, livestock not cash are usually the main financial asset. Animals are sold to buy grain and to meet other domestic needs, and...

Andy Catley, Mesfin Ayele

• October 2018
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Research and observations over the past decade have pointed to the high prevalence of alcohol use in Karamoja. Brews made locally of sorghum and maize have sociocultural, nutritional, and economic...

Padmini Iyer, Jarvice Bukirwa Sekajja, Elizabeth Stites

• September 2018
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This Policy Brief explores the role of agriculture in Karamoja’s development, and in particular, the need to support balanced and integrated livestock-crop strategies.

• August 2018
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In early 2016, a detailed report on livestock marketing in Karamoja, Uganda was published by the USAID/East Africa Resilience Learning Project, and described a dynamic trade and supply of livestock...

• March 2018
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This report is a review of agricultural development trends in the Karamoja sub-region of northeast Uganda. The review was conducted in early 2018, and involved consultations, interviews, and workshops in...

Adrian Cullis

• March 2018
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In early 2016, a detailed report on livestock marketing in Karamoja, Uganda was published by the USAID/East Africa Resilience Learning Project, and described a dynamic trade and supply of livestock...

Yacob Aklilu

• December 2017
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This report summarizes planned humanitarian and development activities of nine bilateral donors in the Karamoja sub-region in 2018. The donors have allocated over US$75 million, which is approximately 270 billion...

• November 2017
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This review examines regional policies and programming initiatives in East Africa and the Horn of Africa related to pastoral areas development, and their relevance to the Karamoja Region of Uganda....

Frank Muhereza

• October 2017
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In a rapidly changing Karamoja, wage labor and employment have become increasingly important as more people look for work in urban and peri-urban centers in the region, elsewhere in Uganda,...

Padmini Iyer, Marianne Mosebo

• August 2017
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This report presents the findings of a rapid review of financial services in Karamoja, Uganda, conducted in May and June 2017. The review is an initial exploratory and rapid assessment...

Hans Dieter Seibel

• July 2017
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The Karamoja region of Uganda has made notable progress in some aspects of veterinary service development and disease control during the last 20 years. Uganda has shown clear commitment to...

• June 2017
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The Karamoja sub-region in northern Uganda is characterized by agropastoralist and pastoralist livelihood systems, with a reliance on livestock for human food and nutrition, income, and social capital. Livestock disease...

Dawit Abebe

• November 2016
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The Karamoja Development Partners Group (KDPG) is made up of donors and UN agencies working in the Karamoja sub-region. Key objectives include enhancing dialogue between development partners and the Government...

• November 2016
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Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in the provision of development programming in Karamoja. Of the 46 projects currently being supported by bi-lateral donors, 22 are being implemented by...

• November 2016
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Many areas of East Africa are responding to growing demands for livestock products, from both within the region and internationally. In Ethiopia and Kenya, pastoralist and agropastoralist producers supply most...

• September 2016
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Karamoja is situated in the northeast part of Uganda. Livestock production is the dominant livelihood system, followed by more risky crop farming. The region encompasses five livelihood zones and three...

Yacob Aklilu

• June 2016
transformation of violence

This study provides a nuanced understanding of the transformation of violence for women, men, girls and boys in northern Karamoja at the household, community, district and the regional levels. Drivers of...

Kimberly Howe, Elizabeth Stites, Darlington Akabwai, Mercy Corps

• November 2015
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Migration from rural Karamoja to towns, cities and other rural areas has long been part of local livelihood strategies, but attention to this phenomenon by national and international actors in...

Elizabeth Stites, Darlington Akabwai

• March 2012
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This report presents the findings of research examining the intersection between natural resources and conflict in southern Karamoja, Uganda, from the perspective of local communities. The study and report are...

Elizabeth Stites, Lorin Fries, Darlington Akabwai

• August 2010
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Karamoja is the poorest and least developed region of Uganda. The population experiences chronic food insecurity, little access to basic services, the weakening of traditional livelihood systems, ongoing insecurity, human...

Elizabeth Stites, Darlington Akabwai, Dyan Mazurana, Priscillar E. Ateyo

• December 2007
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As part of a larger project entitled “Livelihoods and Human Security in Karamoja,” this briefing paper presents findings on causal factors and broad patterns in out-migration among the Bokora population....

Elizabeth Stites, Dyan Mazurana, Darlington Akabwai

• June 2007
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This review takes an objective look at the recent activities of IBAR related to conflict management in pastoralist areas and puts them in the context of what others are doing in the region and globally.

Larry Minear

• March 2001

Pathways to Resilience in the Karamoja Cluster
A regional conference on recent research and policy options
21-23 May 2019, Moroto, Karamoja, Uganda

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) organized an international conference to take stock of recent research in Karamoja, northwest Kenya, and neighbouring areas of South Sudan and Ethiopia, and to draw out lessons for policy and programming.

The conference was an opportunity for critical reflection on the different pathways to resilience in the “Karamoja Cluster,” shared new learning from the dynamics of change and innovation happening in these areas, and to promoted dialogue on policy options at regional, national and local levels.

The KRSU used the conference as a platform for researchers from Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and South Omo, Ethiopia to present their research, alongside international researchers.

Working Papers

Livestock and Livelihoods

Trends in Livelihood Systems and Livestock Markets in Karamoja
Yacob Aklilu

Reconsidering the Livestock Value Chain in Dryland Areas for Resilience Building
Shuaib Lwas, William Obonyo Otoke, Stephen Kodet, Josephat Aryatwijuka

Distress Sell of Cattle by the Bodi
Fana Gebresenbet

Livestock, Wealth and Poverty in Karamoja
Mesfin Ayelea, Andy Catley

 
Peace and Conflict

Understanding Competing Narratives on Karamoja’s Borders
Frank Emmanuel Muhereza

Gender Dynamics and Water Conflicts in Community Boreholes in Turkana County
Caroline Wandiri Mwea, Linnet Hamasi Henry

Women’s Knowledge Systems and Peace Building Among the Pastoral Communities of Northern Kenya
Linnet Hamasia, James Nyawo

Pathways from Peace to Resilience: Examples from Karamoja and the Greater Horn of Africa
Sylvester Abara, David Gatare

 
Mobility, Land and Water

Green Water and Livestock Mobility in Karamoja
Benon B Nabaasa, Shuaib Lwasa

The Cosmo-Politics of a Land Deal at the Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement in Turkana, Kenya
Cory Rodgers

Appreciative Inquiry to Traditional Land Administration in Karamoja, Uganda
Lena Godfrey Lokwang Apaloryonokodos, Lolem Francis Apakaetokos, Lomonyang Simon Adingili

 
Resilience, Risk and Change

Friendship, Kinship, and Social Risk Management Strategies Among Pastoralists in Karamoja
Padmini Iyer

An Ordinary Language Survey of Notions of Resilience in Ngakaramojong
Angella Godfrey, Julian Hopwood, Keem Stella, Kanyipa Ibrahim, Ryan O’Byrne, Sagal Ivan Ambrose, Nangiro Saum

Diversified Livelihoods

Changing Landscapes and Livelihoods in Turkana County, Kenya
Gregory Akall

Experiences of Rural-Urban Migration in Northern Karamoja, Uganda
Elizabeth Stites

Livestock-Centered Diversification and Livelihood Recovery in Post-Disarmament Karamoja
Frank Emmanuel Muhereza

 
Human Nutrition

Determinants of Children’s Malnutrition in Nadunget and Namalu Sub-Counties in Karamoja, Northern Uganda
M. Gracia Glas, Dirk Ullerich, Irmgard Jordan

Understanding the Causes and Seasonality of Malnutrition in Karamoja
Andy Catley, Raphael Lotira, Charles Hopkins

Enablers, Difficulties and Hindrances of Nutrition Recommendations Applications in Nadunget Sub-County
Tina Koch, Gudrun Stallkamp, Gracia M. Glas, Irmgard Jordan

Using Creative Research Methodologies to Understand Adolescent Nutrition Realities in Kenya and Uganda
Theresa Jones, Manaan Mumma, Mary Namanda, Juliet Bedford

Key Barriers and Enablers of Consumption of Animal Source Foods by Women in Four Districts of Southern Karamoja, Uganda
Gudrun Stallkamp, Rebecca Oketcho, Paul Troy

 
Energy and Extractives

Energy Economics, Climate Change and Renewables in East African Drylands
Immo Eulenberger

Digging for Power: A Research into Women’s Experience of Extractive Industries Development in Karamoja
Alexia Falisse, Romain Ravet, and Liliane Umubyeyi

 
Programming Experiences

Building a Culture of Adaptive Management: Cases from Northern Uganda
Melaku Yirga

The Role of Disaster Risk Financing in Building Resilience of Poor Communities in Karamoja
Celestine Katongole, Herbert Akampwera, Robert Lim Lim, Stella Nagujja