If being outside in the heat for even a few minutes felt miserable this summer, imagine what it’s like for herders who are always out walking with their livestock and rarely get a break.

“We have never experienced such hot days,” a woman herder in northern Kenya told our research team in 2024. “It is difficult to [do things] outside [with] the high temperatures.”

Her experience is echoed by herders in both the U.S. and Kenya, where we study health and climate. Our team’s recent data from Kenya suggests that when drought and heat are particularly bad, herders suffer heat-related illness and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

While there is less data about herders in the U.S., there is reason to be worried about them, as global temperatures rise.

People on the move – in the sun

In northern Kenya, herders spend much of their lives outdoors with their animals. During dry seasons, herders can move 100 miles (roughly 160 kilometers) with their livestock, sleeping under the stars or in makeshift shacks along the way.

In the U.S., shepherds on the open range often live similar lives. Most hold temporary visas and are paid by their employers to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with flocks of sheep. They often live in portable trailers with no air conditioning, and they spend long hours in the direct sun in states like Colorado and California.

Herding is a livelihood designed for high temperatures – the animals can be moved to where there’s food........

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