Founded in 1998 as a non-governmental organization under the Trustees Incorporation Ordinance (Cap 375), CORDS traces its roots back to the Pastoralist Research and Development Project (PARDEP) conducted in 1997. Initially focused on the traditional Maasai pastoralist districts of Kiteto, Monduli, Ngorongoro, and Simanjiro in the Arusha Region, Northern Tanzania, CORDS emerged from the need identified in the research findings to establish a permanent body addressing the development needs of pastoral communities.