Climate-Smart Farm Brings Hope to Drought-Prone Marsabit County

Strategic Insights -

In Marsabit County, the harsh realities of poverty, underdevelopment, and climate vulnerability are slowly giving way to hope. A new 40-acre climate-smart farm at Shurr Conservancy is providing sustainable livelihoods for the local community, which has long struggled with the devastating effects of drought. The farm, supported by the Voices for Just Climate Action programme, is empowering Indigenous communities to secure their natural resources, improve their livelihoods, and protect their natural heritage. With the farm's crops thriving under drip irrigation, the community is experiencing a sense of dignity and self-reliance they had thought was lost forever.

Key Takeaways:

  • The climate-smart farm at Shurr Conservancy is a pioneering initiative in Marsabit County, addressing the impacts of climate change in a dry-land context by building community resilience through practical, locally driven solutions.
  • The farm has been supported by the Voices for Just Climate Action programme, which focuses on empowering Indigenous communities to secure their rights to natural resources, improve their livelihoods, and protect their natural heritage.
  • The farm has been secured with a solar-powered fence to keep wildlife at bay and has already seen the growth of crops such as onions, watermelons, butternut, and sorghum, linked to a market 70 km from Marsabit town.
  • The project has received support from organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya (WWF-K), the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), and the Water Resource Authority (WRA).
  • The community has also been supported to set up an apiary with 100 beehives, poultry farming for women, and energy-saving jikos to reduce the need for firewood and improve health outcomes.
  • The farm is part of a larger effort to build community capacity on agriculture, including integrated pest management, and to promote adaptation and sustainable land use in arid and semi-arid areas.

Statistics:

  • Over 40 per cent of livestock in Marsabit and Kajiado counties were lost to drought in 2023 (NDMA statistics).
  • More than 2.6 million herds of cattle, sheep, goats, and camels died in 23 arid and semi-arid land counties since the start of the drought (NDMA statistics).
  • The climate-smart farm in Shurr Conservancy covers 40 acres of land, with close to 20 acres tilled and ready for more crops.
  • The farm has been secured with a solar-powered fence and has a borehole drilled by the WWF-K at a cost of Sh20 million.
  • 100 beehives have been set up as part of the apiary project, and 60 energy-saving jikos have been distributed to the community.

Sources:

  • "Drought affects over 40% of livestock in Marsabit, Kajiado" - National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) statistics.
  • World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya (WWF-K) - Biodiversity, research and innovation manager, Dr Yussuf Wato.
  • Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) - Director in charge of the Beef Research Institute, Dr Tura Isako.
  • Voices for Just Climate Action programme.
  • Marsabit Wildlife Conservancies Association (Mawica).
  • Pastoralist Integrated Support Programme (PISP).
  • Water Resource Authority (WRA).