“There is no Time Left”: Climate Change and Environmental Threats in Turkana County, Kenya

dirt road
A dirt road in Turkana County, Kenya. Turkana County and the eastern shores of Lake Turkana is globally renowned as the cradle of mankind: archeologists have found the oldest ancestors to modern humans in the region. However, today, Turkana County is home to a rapidly growing population that is among the poorest in Kenya and is facing increasing difficulty in accessing water, food, health and security. The County has long experienced periods of cyclical drought, but new climate patterns, combined with threats to Lake Turkana from hydroelectric and irrigation projects in Ethiopia, present immediate and long-term dangers to the lake and to the growing number of people who depend on it for survival.  © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Boys fishing in Lake Turkana
Boys fishing in Lake Turkana. The population of Turkana County is predominately Turkana people, who rely on fishing in Lake Turkana for their livelihood. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Villagers catch fish
Villagers catch fish on the shores of Lake Turkana, Kenya.  © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Fish drying in Longech village
Fish drying in Longech village on the shores of Lake Turkana.  © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
A woman fixes fishing nets
A woman fixes fishing nets on the shore of Lake Turkana.   © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
fisher from Kenya’s Turkana County
A fisher from Kenya’s Turkana County. Kenya’s response to the potential disappearance of the Lake Turkana fishery and the livelihoods of 300,000 Kenyans has been largely one of indifference. In 2012, the Kenyan government signed a deal to import electricity from Ethiopia, much of which will be produced from the Gibe III dam on the Omo River. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Dry earth
Dry earth with footprints near the shores of Lake Turkana. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Boys herding goats
Boys herding goats find shelter from the midday sun under a tree. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
villagers herd livestock
Internally displaced villagers herd livestock in Turkana County. Cattle herding is a main livelihood strategy of many indigenous Turkana and a source of food, pride and wealth. While Turkana has always been dry, longer periods of drought is resulting in decreasing grazing land, less resilient animals and greatly diminished herds. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Kalokol Girls Primary School
Kalokol Girls Primary School. Women and girls often walk extremely long distances to dig for water in dry riverbeds, exposing them to physical danger and taking time away from their studies. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Internally displaced villagers
Internally displaced villagers, forced off their land from increasing conflict over grazing land and cattle, prepare a meal in Turkana County. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Community health workers measure a child’s height
Community health workers measure a child’s height in Turkana County, Kenya. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
Boy at a clinic in Turkana County.
Boy at a clinic in Turkana County. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch
villagers carry firearms
Internally displaced villagers carry firearms while guarding livestock near Lowarengak in Turkana County. © 2014 Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images for Human Rights Watch