Why don't people live in the desert? Cause the desertist living is so difficult for some people due to droughts and weather changes. Some people live in the desert and it’s desertism. Deserts often get very little rainfall, and rivers/groundwater can be far apart, salty, or difficult to access. Some deserts have intense heat in the day and get cold at night (or very hot weather year-round) and that strains farming, building, and daily life. Sand and rocky soils don’t hold nutrients or water well, so growing food is difficult without irrigation in the desert. Why not build a cob house in the desert? You can try building a cob house in the desert but the biggest issues are usually the moisture control, the erosion, and the material availability rather than the cob house’s basic heat behavior. The earthen walls in the dry climates can last a long time like for eons, but in the deserts, they still typically require the regular inspection and the coating repairs, especially on the most exposed sides.