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The inclusion of stakeholders and knowledge systems is increasingly valued in research to address complex socio-ecological challenges around the world. Often these projects take place in cross-cultural setting where external researchers risk perpetuating historically extractive research models that not only harm local communities but damage the validity of research projects. Responsible community engagement is increasingly recognized as a practice that can improve researcher-community relationships and research quality by incorporating principles of ethics, reciprocity, and power sharing. In partnership with local community leaders, researchers from a U.S. university coded 76 research articles for indicators of responsible community engagement conducted in the Samburu, Kenya community since 2000. Findings from this study suggest that most of the research in Samburu has followed extractive models. Of the 76 articles reviewed many failed to acknowledge ethical protocols, did not address relevance of the study to the local community, and did not report any indication of outreach or community change as a result of the research. While a portion of articles showed evidence of community involvement in the studies, the involvement was primarily limited to secondary roles with little to no shared decision-making power over the research process. We discuss methodological considerations for future research and steps that must be taken in order to shift the norm and practice of academic research in sites such as Samburu, Kenya.

Adaptive capacity is critical for understanding the climate resilience of social-ecological systems. A gendered lens is of particular importance as women are simultaneously one of the most vulnerable social groups to climate change and carry a significant adaptation burden. Individuals' adaptive capacity is partially determined by learning and cognition, specifically one's ability to process, assess and react to a changing climate. Formal education experience is thought to increase the learning and cognitive aspects of adaptive capacity. This study uses a novel method, Participatory Adaptation Scenario and Mapping Activity (PASMA) to explore the influence formal education may have on the decision-making processes of pastoral women as they adapt to drought in Samburu, Kenya. Our results indicate participants with formal education may be more risk-averse following drought, but initially assess and react to signs of drought similarly to peers without formal education experience. We argue that increased risk perception might be explained by formal education's influence on the learning component of adaptive capacity. We also contend that formal education may fail to influence the agency of pastoral women as a result of systemic issues, and therefore limiting the potential of formal education to improve adaptive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts on rangeland health as a result of climate change, land fragmentation, and modernization continues to threaten pastoral livelihoods and ecosystem processes around the world. In response, more and more pastoral youth are enrolled in formal education, with hopes of diversifying their future incomes with non-pastoral employment. As youth spend more time in the classroom and less time herding, perceptions and values of traditional pastoral livelihoods may be changing, which may directly affect local grazing pressures and local rangeland health. Using a game-like scenario methodology, this study measured perceptions and values of traditional pastoral livelihoods and non-traditional contemporary income-earning opportunities among formally educated youth of Samburu, Kenya. Results found all student groups generally aspired to destock their herds and diversify their incomes. Male students showed some tendency to restock following favorable conditions, and students with more years of formal education tended to destock the most. Implications of the findings on the future of pastoralism is discussed, including potential effects on livestock holdings, and the possibility that formal education can lead to changes in rangeland condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]