Wajir County, nestled in Kenya’s vast Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) that cover roughly 80 % of the country’s landmass—and host some 16 million people—has long been dismissed as barren and unproductive. Temperatures often flirt with 40 °C, rainfall is scant, and pastoralists confront repeated droughts that kill livestock, eroding both wealth and tradition.
The climate has only worsened. Since 1980, arid zones expanded from roughly 72 % to 81 % of Kenya—an increase of around 50,000 km²—while semi-arid zones shrank, intensifying drought stress. The Horn of Africa drought from 2020 to 2023 claimed nearly half of Wajir’s livestock and pushed the region into a national emergency. In 2022 alone, over 11 million animals died across Kenya; northern ASALs bore the heaviest toll. Such losses ripple through communities: milk yields plummet, incomes vanish, grazing traditions collapse, and families cut spending—often sending children to herd or into early marriage.
Yet in Wajir, a quiet revolution is underway. Abdi Billow turned 30 ft of solar-powered well irrigation into a thriving fodder farm and dairy operation. In a land long labelled infertile, Abdi’s fields are now verdant, his dry hey stocks buffer animals against drought, and his Friesian cow yields nearly 40 liters of milk daily under zero-grazing—a sharp departure from traditional pastoral methods. His model proves that strategic irrigation and green fodder can defy harsh climates and foster food security. He has partly made a model farm growing seed for variant Nappier grass species in effort
A few kilometers away, Muktar Maalim is pioneering fish farming. His solar-shaded, elevated pond challenges expectations in a desert county and promises dietary diversity and local commerce otherwise reliant on distant imports.
These innovators represent Wajir’s resilience. They leverage climate-smart agriculture—irrigation, solar pumps, and storage—to combat rising temperatures and water scarcity, trends driven by climate change over recent decades. Their efforts align with national strategies to turn ASALs into engines of productivity. Kenya’s ASALs hold 50 % of the nation’s livestock, sustain 90 % of the meat consumed, and contribute nearly 13 % of GDP—despite receiving less than 1 % of land under irrigation.
Abdi and Muktar illustrate how climate resilience arises from transformation, not retreat. Their successes suggest a shift: with well water, solar power, and adaptation, ASAL communities can nurture crops and livestock amid extreme heat. Their farms provide fodder, milk, fish, and hope where desert once held dominion.
Margins are shifting. Wajir’s farmers affirm that climate adversity can spark innovation, offering scalable solutions to drought-prone regions. Their story is not just local; it’s a blueprint for sustainable livelihoods and climate adaptation in Kenya’s arid frontier.
