Research, Innovation and Learning

The ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN) is committed to enhancing its impact through a focus on research, innovation, and learning. To achieve this, AHN initiates collaborative research with institutions and think tanks to address key challenges in the ASAL regions. These partnerships will leverage diverse expertise to explore innovative solutions and generate evidence-based practices.

Research includes studies on conflict in ASAL areas to design action-oriented solutions and explore renewable energy-based climate-smart actions, particularly in reducing downtime of solar systems that alleviate the burden of long distances to water through solarized systems. AHN and its partners are working with sectors stakeholders on set up of database of trained and certified vendors linked to private technology providers, enabling effective fault diagnosis, access to quality spare parts, and data-driven online tracking of system performance. This initiative aims to maximize solar energy use, creating household-based innovative solutions that provide power at doorsteps through collective village approaches.

AHN hopes to address environmental degradation by promoting the adoption of climate-smart alternative energy sources for cooking, thereby reducing reliance on charcoal. The network also examines the impact of disasters on livelihood systems, investigating what it means to bounce back better and the differences between households with diversified herds and those without. Insights into urban and rural poverty and graduation models will be developed to assist individuals in moving out of the Hunger Safety Net Program (HSNP), whilst working with stakeholder on a shock responsive social protection system.