Drought Situation & EW Phase Classification
Biophysical Indicators
• The county received a total of 15.09 mm of off-season rainfall. Which was below the long-term average but still within the lower normal range limit for the same period.
• The county's 3-month Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) was recorded at 84, indicating a high level of vegetation greenness for the month which represents an increase over the long term average and the previous month.
• The condition of pasture across all livelihood zones is rated as fair, while browse is rated as good to fair. The current pasture condition is below the normally expected levels for this time of year but falls within the normal range for browse during the same period
• Households traveled an average distance of 7.2 kilometers to access water sources which represents a 39 percent above compared to the long-term average. The average livestock trekking distance to water sources from grazing areas was 13.6 km was 33 percent above the long-term average.
Socio Economic Indicators (Impact Indicators)-
Production indicators:
• Currently livestock body condition ranges between good to fair across the different livestock species in all the livelihood zones with most species exhibiting a moderate to good, smooth appearance.
• Milk production for the month amounted to 3.5 litters, compared to 2.2 litters recorded the previous month. This production level surpassed the long-term average for the month by 51 percent. Access indicators:
• The average goat market prices were ksh.4877 which was slightly lower compared to the previous month but stands 30 percent above the shortterm average for the month,
• The average milk intake per household has increased to 1.8 liters surpassing the upper limit of the normal consumption range for this period by 12 percent
• Currently, the terms of trade for the sale of a medium-sized goat by pastoral households indicate that they can purchase 37.6 kilograms of maize representing a 7 percent above the short-term average
Utilization indicators:
• The average Reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI) for the month was 12.62 and was 15 percent higher than the long-term average but remained 9 percent below the upper limit of the normal range for this month.
• The average food consumption score for the month stood at 41.8, marking a notable 16 percent increase above the long-term average expected for this period.
• The current proportion of children at risk of malnutrition, based on MidUpper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurements, stands at 15.5 percent