The water pan is dry is no longer the concern. Frequent and prolonged droughts are a growing threat to the livelihoods of dryland communities. The water pan is dry – what do we do next? This is a common cry among the dry communities at Maalimin Settlement of Garissa County.
Fortunately, the cry for water is no longer the concern for the Maalimin Settlement community of Garissa County, Kenya. Change is expected soon with the development of a 50,000 cubic meter water pan. With funding from the World Bank through the Garissa County government, APEO mobilized the community to provide suitable land for the dam and worked with the contractor to ensure efficient development of the pan.
The water collected in the dam, beginning with the 2025 main rainy season (March–April–May), could sustain the community through 2–3 years without rainfall. It will provide water for their livestock—the main economic activity. It will also support small-scale farming through supplementary irrigation. Wildlife in the area will also benefit from the available water and will no longer need to migrate or face death due to scarcity.
In a nutshell, the water development will boost the community’s resilience to climate change and spark wealth creation and socio-economic development, including job opportunities for youth and women. Water will be piped to kiosks within the settlement, enabling children to focus on education instead of spending hours fetching water from distant sources.
Women will also be spared the burden of walking long distances to collect water. They will have more time for their families and will be able to participate in income-generating activities, helping reduce poverty.
Additionally, water will be piped to the local school and health center, which currently lack a regular supply of water.
This is what APEO aims to achieve by 2030 through partnerships with various stakeholders, including local communities, national and sub-national governments, development partners, and others. With water harvesting, we can transform the drylands of Africa into productive and multifunctional landscapes.
