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a b s t r a c tThis study traces livelihood pathways within two spatially proximate locations in the dryland setting of Laikipia County, Kenya. Both sites, Thome and Wiyumiririe, were opened up for settlement at roughly the same time, belong to the same administrative unit, and fall under the same national policy remit. Whilst Kenya's policy for arid and semi-arid lands tends towards a 'one-fits-all' solution across geographical regions, the objective of our study, therefore, is to identify and explain the conditions for site-specific variations in livelihood pathways. Building upon a combination of remote sensing analysis, community group discussions and expert interviews the study aims at establishing locally contextualised entry points from which to enhance viable livelihood pathways in the drylands. Our findings show that Thome's contiguity with areas of open access and its position next to a wetland, the Ewaso Narok swamp, has led to heightened insecurity and ongoing conflicts over land-use rights, with livelihoods tending towards an unsustainable use of the environment. Wiyumiririe, in contrast, benefits from a strong government presence as well as good access to several service centres, with its community having sustainably enhanced land-productivity and secured alternative off-farm incomes.

Universal access to sustainable and modern energy is considered key to a wide range of aspired development outcomes. Related initiatives are particularly contested when it comes to a tree-based form of bioenergy that is used in large quantities all around the world and that ranks among the most commercialised but least regulated commodities in sub-Saharan Africa, namely charcoal. Throughout the region charcoal is used for residential cooking and heating by millions of households. While consumers are mainly located in urban and peri-urban settings, the growing demand for charcoal is largely met by rural dryland populations whose production-end practices have long been considered a major cause of deforestation and land degradation. Recent charcoal policies aim to create and support sustainable production pathways, especially through the provisioning of appropriate technologies (for instance, more efficient kilns) and improved managerial mechanisms (such as standardised environmental assessments). In order to make local forms of knowledge and practice more relevant to ongoing scholarly and political discussions on the charcoal sector, this paper proposes the notion of fuelscape as a conceptual space where the environmental and livelihood impacts of charcoal production can be revealed, compared and debated. This proposition is developed in three parts. In the first part, we introduce fuelscapes as a critical tool through which to approach (dryland) energy landscapes. In the second part, we explore how local stakeholders in Central Pokot, Kenya, account for the shifting significance and contested meaning of commercialised charcoal production in temporal, material and social terms. The discussion then captures contested fuelscapes more broadly and with reference to three interrelated themes; namely historicity, complexity and diversity. We conclude by suggesting key areas of strategic lesson-drawing for future charcoal research and policy in sub-Saharan drylands.

Rural communities in the drylands of sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) derive their livelihoods primarily from their natural resource base. Unprecedented changes in these environments over the past few decades are likely to intensify in the future and land users need to develop sustainable adaptation strategies. This study aims to identify land‐use and land‐cover (LULC) changes and their drivers in a sub‐Saharan dryland, between 1986 and 2017, by integrating local knowledge and remote sensing. Local knowledge and environmental perception are used as the basis for defining LULC classes and for training and validation of change detection. This study detects significant LULC changes in 41% of the investigated area, and identifies bush encroachment into former pastures as the dominant LULC change with an increase of woodland by 39% and a decrease of grassland by 74%. This process is perceived as severe degradation by local respondents and is linked to changing management regimes and unreliable rainfall patterns. Deforestation and woodland thinning account for 44% of the detected changes, and can be traced back to increased habitation and farming, although the local community also identifies charcoal production as a driving factor. The integration of remote sensing and local knowledge provides a holistic view on LULC change in Pokot Central, Kenya and offers a solid base for site‐specific and actor‐centred management approaches necessary for sustainable pathways of drylands. Our results emphasize the need to include local actors in the development of adaptation strategies and management guidelines for drylands.

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