The Karamoja cross-border area (defined based on the watershed boundary), encompassing parts of Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, is an area highly prone to climate-induced hazards, with drought emerging as the most prevalent and devastating.

Largely characterised by a uni-modal seasonal rainfall pattern from March to November, the Cross-border Area’s rainfall peaks in April and May. However, historical and current drought analysis underscores the chronic and severe impact of prolonged dry spells on the region. These droughts are widespread, persistent, and significantly disrupt the livelihoods of communities largely dependent on pastoralism and rain fed agriculture. Drought events are frequent, making communities vulnerable to the compounding effects of recurrent dry seasons and extreme events.

This drought risk profile presents results from analysis of key indicators on drought hazard (aridity, precipitation long-term mean, long-term precipitation index, drought frequency and rainfall coefficient of variability), exposure (population density, land us /land cover and soil organic carbon/soil quality) and vulnerability (market accessibility, Anthropogenic Biomes, and poverty levels).