Research & Knowledge Management
Documenting ASAL indigenous wisdom. Generating evidence. Informing policy.
Why It Matters
Knowledge Is Power
Kenya's ASAL communities hold centuries of ecological knowledge — understanding of rainfall patterns, species behaviour, land management techniques, and social governance systems — that have sustained livelihoods for generations. Yet this knowledge is rarely documented, rarely cited in policy, and at risk of being lost as elder knowledge-holders pass on.
Simultaneously, policy and development programming in ASAL regions is routinely made without adequate local evidence — leading to interventions that miss communities' real priorities, ignore indigenous systems, and fail to endure.
ASREP addresses both problems simultaneously: by documenting indigenous knowledge AND generating applied research that feeds directly into programme design and government policy.
Flagship: ASAL IK Vault Series
Debut Release: Cows, Women & Land
“In the Borana Oromo Indigenous culture, three things stand above all else: Cows. Women. Land. Nothing in the universe rivals their value.”
Oral Knowledge Documentation
Structured interviews with elders, capturing ecological, governance, and cultural knowledge in written and audio formats.
Participatory Validation
Draft publications reviewed by community knowledge-holders before release — ensuring accuracy, respect, and community ownership.
Policy Dissemination
Publications shared with county government, NDMA, KFS, and international partners — connecting indigenous wisdom to formal decision-making.
Applied Research
Evidence That Drives Change
Beyond indigenous knowledge documentation, ASREP generates applied research products — policy briefs, impact evaluations, and community needs assessments — that inform both our own programming and the broader ASAL development sector.
Economic Impacts Policy Brief
Quantifying the economic value of community-led NbS and peacebuilding interventions in Isiolo County.
Eco-Entrepreneurship Webinar Summary
Key findings and recommendations from the 2025 ASAL eco-entrepreneurship convening.
ASAL IK Vault Series Vol. 1
'Cows, Women & Land' — Borana Oromo indigenous ecological and cultural knowledge.
