Surviving the drought (Swiss Press Video 2023, by Cristina Karrer) - Swiss Press Award
Format NZZ
Cristina Karrer
In Turkana, a region in northern Kenya, it hasn't rained for three years – a consequence of climate change. Obtaining water is a daily task for the people. The drought is forcing the nomadic Turkana people, who previously lived primarily from livestock farming, to seek new ways of survival. Abandoning millennia-old traditions without fully understanding why life as before is no longer possible is difficult. Some are trying their hand at fishing on Lake Turkana, Kenya's largest inland body of water. Others are starting a life as farmers. But even this is a major challenge without rain. A return to traditional grain and vegetable varieties that can withstand drought and are highly nutritious is intended to help. Getting people to stop focusing on maize, which was heavily promoted in the 19th century and now dominates the diet in Kenya, requires a lot of persuasion.
Interview with Cristina Karrer
