Arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) are highly vulnerable to drought, water and forage scarcity, land degradation, and socioeconomic shocks, threatening livestock assets and pastoral livelihoods. This review synthesizes literature published between 2020 and 2026 on livestock production, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods, with a focus on Kenya and the wider Horn of Africa. It examines feed and fodder systems, climate-resilient breeding, animal health, rangeland management, pastoral mobility, livestock marketing and value addition, climate information, insurance, livelihood diversification, and inclusive institutions. The evidence confirms that livestock remain central to food security, income, savings, employment, and household resilience, but recurrent droughts can erode herds and prolong recovery. Building resilience therefore requires integrated interventions that strengthen feed and animal health, promote locally adapted breeds and climate-resilient husbandry, restore rangelands, and support sustainable grazing and mobility. Improved markets, value addition, financial and climate-risk services, and livelihood diversification can further increase returns and reduce vulnerability, while gender-responsive approaches, local knowledge, social networks, and inclusive governance support adoption and sustainability. Overall, the literature suggests that isolated interventions are unlikely to deliver durable resilience. Sustainable pastoral development requires context-specific packages that increase productivity and value per animal while protecting rangelands and strengthening adaptive capacity. Future policy, investment, and research should therefore integrate feed security, breeding, animal health, rangeland governance, mobility, market development, climate-risk financing, livelihood diversification, and social inclusion to strengthen pastoral livelihoods and sustain dryland ecosystems.