Once found across the scrublands and plains of East Africa, now confined to small pockets of Ethiopia and Kenya, the Grevy’s zebra are fighting for their survival.  They are one of Africa’s most endangered large mammals. They are struggling to survive in the face of habitat loss, limited access to water, poaching, conflict with humans, and diseases.  In 1970, approximately 15,000 Grevy’s zebras were alive. Today, they are fewer than 3,000. That is an astonishing 75 percent decline in a matter of decades.

In Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, recurrent drought makes access to water—for humans, agriculture, and livestock—an ongoing challenge.  Many communities rely on ground water accessed through boreholes or wells, as well as surface water supply structures, such as small dams and water pans.  During drought, surface water supplies are not adequately replenished and the pumps that operate boreholes and wells tend to break from overuse and poor management.  Repair of pumps can be costly and, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas, critically delayed.  When water is scarce, communities may utilize water unsafe for consumption, face purchasing water at inflated prices at a time when household income is already strained, or walk long distances to reach water, disrupting other critical activities.