Turkana pastoralism: a case against the Tragedy of the Commons

This paper examines land-use practice among the Turkana pastoralists of Kenya. Drawing on work of both ecologists and anthropologists, it examines the argument that posits that pastoralism is inherently destructive to the environment, commonly referred to as the "Tragedy of the Commons." Results of this research suggest that the livestock management practices of East African pastoralists do not degrade the environment, that livestock numbers do not exceed the carrying capacity of the land, and that social institutions successfully function to cope with environmental problems.