Do new permanent water supplies in the drylands help build resilience? The impacts of new boreholes on coping with drought in Ethiopia and Kenya

This publication examines how current approaches to developing new water supplies in dryland regions may undermine, rather than strengthen, pastoralists’ resilience. Drawing on field research from nine sites across Marsabit County in Kenya and the Somali Region of Ethiopia, the report challenges the common assumption that permanent water infrastructure automatically delivers positive climate resilience outcomes.
While improved water access is often framed as a resilience measure, the findings highlight significant concerns about unintended consequences, including altered grazing patterns, increased settlement pressures, and heightened conflict risks. These dynamics can weaken pastoral mobility systems that are central to coping with climate variability in dryland environments.