This document discusses the concepts of resilience in relation to sustainable development and food security in the drylands of Eastern Africa. It defines social-ecological resilience as a system's ability to absorb disturbance while retaining its core functions, and development resilience as a household's ability to maintain well-being during shocks and stresses. While the disaster risk reduction community focuses on short-term well-being and the development community on long-term improvements, both aim to enhance resilience. However, system resilience is not always desirable, as traditional pastoralism demonstrates. Differentiating system and development resilience can provide insights into when system resilience promotes or hinders well-being.