Drylands Transform

Project introduction

Drylands cover 40 % of the global land area, host 2 billion people, and support approximately 50% of the world’s livestock population. In the drylands of East Africa, pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods are prominent. In Drylands Transform we will investigate the links between land health, livestock-based livelihoods, human well-being, and land management and governance. We will contribute with new knowledge for transformative change and sustainable development of rangelands in the border region between Kenya and Uganda. Through strong stakeholder engagement in interdisciplinary research, we set out to explore the challenges and pathways towards a social-ecological transformation in drylands that optimizes synergies among the sustainable development goals (SDGs) while minimizing the trade-offs.

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Drylands cover 40 % of the global land area, host 2 billion people, and support approximately 50% of the world’s livestock population.

A farmer is herding his cattle in Kenya

View a Drylands Transform video at Agri4D 2023

Building resilient food systems in drylands; Challenges and lessons learned from transdisciplinary research in East Africa.

View three short documentaries

One of our partners, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has produced three videos about our work. Watch them here.

Land health linked to human health

Assessing land health at the landscape scale and exploring the links with human health and well-being.

Livestock cafés

Co-developing sustainable rangeland management options with local communicties, and set-up knowledge sharing hubs (‘livestock cafés’).

Resilience of communities

Studying impacts of seasonality and climate variability on food and livelihood strategies, wellbeing and resilience.

Land and resource governance

Identifying innovative land governance mechanisms and practices that effectively address livestock-keepers’ dependence on both flexible and secure rights to land.

Future scenarios

Co-designing and evaluating alternative scenarios for sustainable dryland transformation in East Africa with local and regional stakeholder groups.

Results

Here you can find results that have been obtained so far in the Triple L projects: Paradox, Drylands Restore, Restore4More and Drylands Transform.
Explore the results

Activities and news

  • 2025-11-06

    Malnutrition widespread in drylands

    Researchers in the Drylands Transform project are analyzing household survey data. Among 944 households, 25–50% had malnourished or at-risk children, with even higher rates among women. Early findings also reveal families face frequent crises and conflicts in the drylands.
  • 2025-12-11

    Postdoc in Drylands Transform

    “I am excited to join Drylands Transform and work as part of a multidisciplinary team”, said James. “My research in northern Kenya has highlighted to me how the region’s drylands are undergoing rapid economic and political transformations."

Background

Get a background to Drylands Transform