SPARC research on water development in the drylands reveals how a divide between development thinking and humanitarian action is undermining resilience and community trust. SPARC’s recent research on the provision of water in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of eastern Africa offers a different way of addressing the issue. By identifying the specific problems caused by the lack of integration between emergency water interventions and water development, sensible solutions can be found without getting bogged down in jargon around the development–water–peace ‘nexus’ or in resilience frameworks. This same approach offers more practical ways forward than the struggles that arise when the starting point is the architecture of emergency assistance rather than a shared responsibility for providing a reliable water supply.