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Past studies mainly focused on the effects of the lack of a pastoral land tenure security system. There is scarcity of evidence regarding the effects of pastoral land tenure insecurity in the context of cross-border environmental resource governance and sustainability that the present study attempted to contribute. The main objective of this study is therefore to assess how far the state land tenure system has impacted environmental resource governance and sustainability along the Ethiopia–Kenya border. The study employed a qualitative method in which key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions were utilized as the primary data collection methods; moreover, the legal documents of the two states, journal articles, official reports of governmental, and nongovernmental organizations report and other relevant secondary sources were assessed in the review of the literature. Data were collected from various respondents from the pastoralists, nongovernmental organizations, and government bodies from local, national, regional, and international organization representatives. The findings of the study showed that in both states, the government laws and policies adopted have not taken into account the pastoral way of life. In addition, the lack of tenure security for the pastoralists has endangered cross-border environmental resource governance and sustainability. The pastoral landholding system is communally influenced mainly by states’ interests and human encroachments. It is vital that pastoral policies should accommodate pastoral felt needs and interests in which the voices of pastoralists are heard in the policy-making process; hence, there should be a special representation for the pastoral people in the regional and federal legislature (in Ethiopia) and central government parliament (in Kenya), and there should be a cross-border pastoralists forum to ensure better environmental resource governance in the borderland.

Effective natural resources governance plays crucial roles in enhancing the resilience of the Socio-ecological systems (SES) in the face of prevailing environmental changes. It is recognized that the ability to adaptively respond to complex environmental change and manage SES resilience resides in the actors' networks. Network forms of governance facilitate both horizontal and vertical interconnection of actors, bring different perspectives and sources of knowledge, develop shared values and develop innovative solutions to the wicked rangeland problems. However, the structural pattern of the actors’ collaborative linkages highly influences how actors actually behave and, hence, impact the deliverance of effective governance. In view of this, by analyzing social networks (SNA), this study aims to identify the structural gaps that result in misfit in the Borana rangelands. As evident from the low level of network density obtained from quantitative SNA, there are very few horizontal and vertical interactions and linkages among actors in the Borana rangelands governance system which considerably blocks flows of knowledge, experiences and other resources indicating inability of the governance system in facilitating the solidification of shared values and joint action. The study further reveals that rangelands governance system in Borana is hampered by absence of adequate network heterogeneity and closure which in turn blocks the building of collaborative visioning and an efficient use of available resources to address complex problem. Thus, this study suggests that policy environment that can create conditions for more collaboration, strength of actors ties, development of trust and social capital and enabling the design of effective collective efforts should be put in place.

This study examined roles of state and indigenous institutions in environmental resource governance along the Ethiopia-Kenya border. We used a qualitative approach to discuss the research objectives. Interviews, focus group discussions and scheduled interviews were used as instruments of data collection. The results demonstrate that the customary institutions have survived and served for generations in defending the rangeland environment from tragic destruction enabled pastoralists to go beyond borders to get ecological benefits of mobility as an adaptive strategy. Now, unlike before, the role of indigenous institution is declining due to a lack of recognition and exploitation by the state apparatus.