Livestock farming constitutes 80% of economic and livelihood source for Liben zone. Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists are heavily dependent on livestock and their products. This strong dependence on one source of income makes them extremely vulnerable.
Despite the zone being strategically located at border points with Somalia and North-Eastern Kenya and serving as an important trade center, Dolo Ado remains dependent on livestock farming. Recurrent droughts and related natural resource degradation means forage remains in large deficit while pastoralists’ lack of experience in hay aggravates the problem even further. Due to this, the main source of water for Dolo-Ado is pond water, for both human needs and livestock. The community is exposed to water-borne diseases as the pond water is mostly unclean.