Pastoralism in Ethiopia constitutes a unique and important way of life for close to 10 million of the country’s total estimated population of 80 million. Pastoralists live in around seven of the country’s nine regions, inhabiting almost the entire lowlands, which constitute around 61% of the country’s landmass. Pastoralists own 40% of the livestock population in the country. They live a fragile existence, mainly characterized by unpredictable and unstable climatic conditions. They are affected by recurring droughts, persistent food insecurity, conflict, flood, inadequate services and infrastructure and they are among the poorest of the poor in terms of disposable incomes, access to social services and general welfare. Access to health care and primary and secondary education is very low compared with other areas (mid- and highlands) of the country.

The pastoral population is heterogeneous in its ethnic composition and social structure, having some larger ethnic groups such as the Afar and Oromo, with well over four million pastoral people between them. The rest are Omotic pastoral groups such as the Hamer, Dassenech, Nygagaton and Erbore, and the Nuer and other groups in the western lowlands.

International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, The Indigenous World 2011