Strengthening resilience in conflict-affected drylands requires more than technical solutions. It demands context-aware, adaptive approaches grounded in evidence.
Three new policy briefs developed under the now completed Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme translate five years of research into practical guidance for policymakers, donors and practitioners working in recurrent and protracted crises.
Why This Matters
Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in dryland regions face increasingly frequent and intense shocks. From conflict and economic instability to climate change, alongside long-term structural challenges such as marginalisation and declining access to grazing land.
In these contexts, conventional models of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and early warning often fall short. Interventions must account for conflict dynamics, state fragility and shifting political realities that shape vulnerability and determine who benefits.
Drawing on five years of research, technical assistance and engagement with local researchers and institutions, SPARC’s final briefs capture practical lessons for policymakers, donors and practitioners working in recurrent and protracted crises.
Key Insights from Five Years of Learning
The briefs highlight several cross-cutting lessons:
- Conflict shapes everything. It influences how shocks are experienced, which responses are feasible and who can access support.
- Disaster risk reduction is both necessary and possible in conflict settings. In many places, communities are already undertaking DRR activities, often informally and without external recognition.
- Early warning systems must be people-centred. Beyond technical forecasting, systems must ensure that people receive, trust, understand and act on information.
- Anticipatory action cannot stand alone. In protracted crises, it must be embedded within broader disaster risk management strategies.
- Solutions must be adaptive. Approaches that succeed in stable contexts cannot simply be replicated. Interventions must build on existing systems, embrace flexibility and support local agency.
Across all three briefs, one message is clear: strengthening resilience in conflict-affected drylands is as much a social and institutional challenge as it is a technical one.
Explore the Policy Briefs
SPARC’s publications provide practical, actionable guidance:
Together, they offer a roadmap for designing more context-aware, adaptive and effective interventions in fragile environments.
About SPARC
The Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) was a large-scale, multi-country research-to-action programme focused on supporting the resilience of communities in some of the world’s most vulnerable and conflict affected countries across Africa and the Middle East. SPARC was funded by the FCDO and was delivered by Cowater International in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mercy Corps, and ODI Global. Additional donors and partners included the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Jameel Observatory.
