Building Resilience in Kenya’s Drylands
 

In Tharaka Nithi County, one of Kenya’s most drought-affected regions, Green Intelligence is working with smallholder farmers in Kibui and Marimanti to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen climate resilience through agroforestry. In these arid areas, frequent droughts severely affect both livelihoods and food security.

The project is implemented in close collaboration with Tharaka University, which has a dedicated faculty for Dryland Agriculture. The university nursery supplies part of the seedlings used in the project, while students support data collection and mobile application rollout among farmers. Green Intelligence also partners with Children and Women Welfare CBO and Kibui CBO, both of which have long-standing relationships with the local farming communities.

Using the Green Intelligence platform, data on tree survival, farmer engagement, and environmental impact is continuously collected. Tree propagation and distribution are guided by both ecological restoration needs and income-generation potential for farmers. Species such as mango, moringa, lemon, and tamarind have been introduced, and several trainings on agroforestry and regenerative practices have already been held. Together, these efforts are helping to create more resilient farms and landscapes across Tharaka Nithi’s drylands.