Incentivizing Collective Action for Rangeland Regeneration

Across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), pastoral communities are facing increasing pressure from climate change, recurrent droughts, land degradation, and weakening natural resource governance systems. In counties such as Garissa and Wajir, healthy rangelands are essential not only for livestock production, but also for food security, livelihoods, resilience, and social cohesion.

Implemented by Mercy Corps Kenya, the Incentivizing Collective Action for Rangeland Regeneration (ICARR) Program works alongside pastoral communities, county governments, and local institutions in Wajir and Garissa Counties to strengthen resilient and sustainable rangeland management systems that can withstand climatic shocks while supporting long-term livelihoods.

Rather than focusing only on technical restoration activities, ICARR recognizes that sustainable rangeland rehabilitation depends on strong local governance, inclusive decision-making, collective action, and community ownership. The program therefore combines ecological restoration with institutional strengthening, women’s economic empowerment, and locally led adaptation approaches.

Why ICARR Matters

Kenya’s pastoral rangelands are shared resources that depend on collective management. However, increasing climate variability, prolonged droughts and cyclic floods, shifting settlement patterns, and weakened traditional governance systems have made it more difficult for communities to sustainably manage grazing lands and natural resources.

Many restoration efforts fail because they address environmental degradation without strengthening the systems and institutions needed to sustain change over time.

ICARR was designed to respond to this challenge by supporting communities to:

• Restore degraded rangelands
• Strengthen local governance systems
• Improve collective grazing management
• Increase women’s participation and leadership
• Build climate resilience for pastoral households
• Promote sustainable livelihoods and adaptation pathways

The program places communities at the center of decision-making and supports locally driven solutions that balance immediate livelihood needs with long-term ecosystem stewardship.

Our Approach

ICARR tests a layered incentive alongside foundational governance systems-strengthening.  Combined, these approach addresses the interconnected environmental, social, and economic challenges facing pastoral communities.

Strengthening Community Governance

A core pillar of ICARR is strengthening inclusive and functional community governance systems for rangeland management. The Community Asset Grant (CAG) was designed as a performance-based incentive tied directly to governance milestones. Its central purpose was to strengthen governance for inclusive rangeland management by embedding participatory and accountable systems at the community and ward levels. ICARR recognized that sustainable rangeland use depends not only on technical interventions but also on the functionality of grassroots institutions that can plan, enforce, and monitor collective decisions. By linking access to critical infrastructure investments with demonstrated governance improvements, CAG aimed to reinforce the principle that effective and equitable governance is a prerequisite for sustained land regeneration.

Therefore, ICARR program works closely with both Ward and village Rangeland Management Committees (vRMCs) and community institutions to improve:

• Inclusive decision-making
• Grazing regulation and enforcement
• Conflict resolution mechanisms
• Community participation
• Accountability and transparency
• Collective planning and monitoring

ICARR recognizes that strong institutions are essential for sustaining ecological restoration and ensuring communities can adapt to changing climatic conditions over time.

Livelihoods and Business Support

ICARR supports pastoral households and community groups through Business Investment Grants (BIGs) that support the economic empowerment of communities by fostering business opportunities linked to sustainable rangeland management and climate resilience.

These investments help communities improve resilience while supporting locally led economic growth.

Rangeland Rehabilitation

ICARR supports practical restoration measures that improve ecosystem health and regenerate degraded grazing areas. These include:

• Reseeding and restoration activities
• Soil and water conservation measures
• Controlled and regulated grazing systems
• Community-led rehabilitation planning
• Sustainable natural resource management practices

The program promotes approaches that communities can maintain and govern sustainably beyond the life of external support.

Climate Shock Response and Adaptation

Pastoral communities often face severe climatic shocks that can undermine progress and weaken collective systems.

ICARR incorporates Emergency Adaptation Grants that help communities respond to drought and climate stress while protecting gains made in rangeland restoration and governance.

These mechanisms reduce pressure on communities during crisis periods and support continued compliance with collective management systems.

Women at the Center of Resilience

Women play a critical role in pastoral livelihoods, household resilience, and natural resource management, yet they are often excluded from decision-making processes.

ICARR intentionally promotes women’s economic empowerment and leadership through:

• Support to women-led enterprises
• Increased participation in governance structures
• Leadership and decision-making opportunities
• Access to economic and livelihood support
• Strengthened voice and influence in community processes

By increasing women’s participation and agency, the program helps build more inclusive, accountable, and resilient governance systems.

Driving Collective Action

Sustainable rangeland management depends on communities working together to manage shared resources.

ICARR supports collective action by helping communities strengthen:

• Joint planning and decision-making
• Shared grazing management systems
• Compliance with agreed community rules
• Community-led monitoring and accountability
• Cooperation during periods of climate stress

The program also promotes behavioral change by strengthening trust, fairness, participation, and long-term stewardship of natural resources.

Learning, Adaptation, and Sustainability

ICARR is grounded in continuous learning and adaptive management. The program works closely with communities, local institutions, and county governments to understand what works, why it works, and how successful approaches can be sustained and scaled.

By generating practical evidence and strengthening local systems, ICARR contributes to broader efforts to advance climate adaptation, resilient livelihoods, and sustainable rangeland governance across Kenya’s ASALs.

Partners and Collaboration

ICARR is implemented through collaboration with county governments, local communities, governance institutions, and development partners to strengthen locally led adaptation and sustainable rangeland management systems.

Together, these partnerships are helping pastoral communities build resilience, restore ecosystems, and create pathways toward sustainable and inclusive development in Kenya’s drylands.