Pastoralism

The migration of Karimojong andPokot tribes and their (semi-) pastoral cultures have been the prominent feature of North-East Uganda in the past centuries .

However, the pressures of modernity and globalization have never yet been felt as much as they do today. While it might bring new services such as access to clinics and schools, modernity also destabilizes the balance of historically situated 'traditions'.

The contemporary reconfiguration of ecosystems and livelihoods in Karamoja cannot be properly apprehended outside of its coevolution with changing cultural refences: As pastoralism in Karamoja enters the 21st century, it undergoes a series of challenges that affect all dimensions of the pastoral way of life.

For example, survival coping strategies in the aftermath of the loss of cattle (e.g. because of raids), with the selling of firewood and charcoal, accelerates deforestation and subsequent erosion. The fertility of the Karamojan land is further exhausted by overuse following sedentarization.