The droughts of 2011 and 2012 launched a system wide focus on support to ‘resilience’ as a mode of response to crisis affected communities in the Horn. The return of a harsh drought and after effects of El Niño 2015 to 2017 once again draws attention to the ways in which pastoralist livelihood systems in particular, have been responding to the complex changes in the political, social and economic environment of the Horn of Africa. Challenges continue in reflecting on the adequacy of the ‘resiliency approach’ and to analyse what lessons have been learnt over the last four years on applying this model.

The Pastoralist Research day is to bring together locally based researchers and practitioners to review new debates on the concept of resilience and examine their appropriateness to the issues being faced by communities and responding agencies in the Horn.