Press and News From satellites to soil: Turning drought warnings into action in Ethiopia’s drylands
At the Innovation Showcase: Delivering Resilient Drylands during CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi, Dr. Sintayehu Alemayehu shared how a satellite-powered system is helping Ethiopian pastoralists manage drought and protect their livelihoods.
At CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi, stories of innovation filled the rooms, but some of the most powerful came from the most remote places.
Taking the stage during the “Delivering Resilient Drylands” showcase, Dr. Sintayehu Alemayehu shared a quiet revolution unfolding in the lowlands of Ethiopia. It wasn’t about new gadgets or apps. It was about something far more practical which is helping pastoralist communities know when to move, when to prepare, and how to avoid the worst of what climate change increasingly brings.
The tool was a water and pasture monitoring, forecasting, and early warning system. But as Sintayehu explained, it’s more than just a system. It’s a bridge between progressive science and the realities of life on the ground.
Sintayehu Alemayehu
Project LeaderDeveloped through close collaboration with national institutions such as Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), the system integrates real-time satellite data with seasonal forecasts and local field observations. It tracks water points and grazing areas across Ethiopia’s drylands, predicting how they’ll change in days, coming weeks, and months. But it's true strength lies in how that information is delivered: not buried in reports or dashboards, but shared through SMS messages, FM radio, websites, and even community-run information centers.
“For many pastoralists, especially in remote areas, early warning systems are often out of reach,” Sintayehu told the audience. “We’re trying to change that by making climate information not just available, but useful.”
The system was designed not only with pastoralists in mind, but with them directly involved. Through platforms like Pastoral Communities of Practice (PCoPs), local voices shaped what kind of information was most needed, when it should be delivered, and how it should be communicated. What emerged is a living example of user-centered design where climate science and indigenous knowledge meet, and where trust is built not through technology alone, but through consistent, respectful engagement.
As Sintayehu reflected: “As someone born in the Global South, educated in the West, and now returning to work alongside local communities, I see my role as a bridge connecting science with indigenous knowledge to drive innovation, tackle climate impacts, and build trust between tradition and technology.”
Already, the impacts are being felt. In places like Haro Bakee, local authorities are using the system to plan for water trucking before shortages hit. Herders are receiving alerts that help them decide when to move animals to avoid depleted grazing areas and water shortage. And by helping anticipate pressure points in advance, the system is contributing to reduced conflict over resources which is an increasingly urgent issue in regions where drought often fuels tension.
But the work doesn’t stop there. As climate extremes grow more intense, the platform is being linked with longer-term solutions: ecosystem-based adaptation measures like rangeland restoration, and emerging opportunities in climate finance, including payments for ecosystem services and carbon credits.
What was once a fragmented approach to managing dryland resources is becoming a coordinated, data-informed strategy for resilience.
At CGIAR Science Week, amid presentations on global models and technological frontiers, this stood out for its humility and its grounding. It was a showcase that innovation doesn’t always mean inventing something new. Sometimes, it means listening differently. Designing differently. Acting early. And for communities navigating the harsh realities of the drylands, that difference can be everything.
