Although the way in which local communities in The Gambia identify drought has remained predominantly traditional, their response to the hazard has undergone significant change over the past three decades. Some of the changes, even if short-lived, have been beneficial, and have reduced the severity and duration of the hardships and penury which can accompany droughts in this part of the world. Nevertheless, other changes in the local response system, coupled with wider social, economic and political developments over the decades, are threatening to weaken the tolerance of local communities to hazards and increase their exposure to droughts. This article examines some of the strategies which local communities employ to identify and respond to drought, the extent to which responses have changed over the past decades, and the implications of some of these changes for the vulnerability of local communities in The Gambia.
