Indigenous Systems Under Drought Conditions: Maasai Water Access Techniques

Policy analysis submitted to the UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) 2026

Author: Stephanie Zabriskie
ORCID: 0009-0000-9273-1529
Affiliation: Humanculture (Indigenous-led nonprofit organization)
Capacity: Founder and Executive Director

Abstract

This policy analysis documents how Maasai pastoralist communities in semi-arid northern Tanzania sustain household and livestock water access under prolonged drought conditions through Indigenous systems of distributed groundwater management. In contexts where centralized water infrastructure is absent and surface water sources have disappeared, families rely on manually dug wells located in dry riverbeds and former lakebeds where groundwater remains accessible.

The system operates through spatially distributed extraction, labor-intensive daily management, and community-coordinated governance that regulates access, maintenance, and use across households and livestock. These practices function under extended hydrological stress without reliance on external forecasting, centralized control, or short-term emergency intervention.

Based on repeated field engagement across multiple drought cycles, this analysis treats Maasai water access practices as operational climate adaptation systems, emphasizing mechanics, decision logic, and governance structures rather than cultural description. The paper provides applied insight for policymakers and practitioners working on climate adaptation, water access, and conflict prevention in arid and semi-arid regions.

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Indigenous Systems Under Drought Conditions: Maasai Water Access Techniques