See church forests in Ethiopia. These are just lands that were fenced off from grazing, and they look like random oases in the desert. So clearly trees can survive in the general area.
https://www.inverse.com/article/53851-church-forest-ethiopia...
https://www.inverse.com/article/53851-church-forest-ethiopia...
It seems that Brazil is in the way to become the new Etiophia... and that for some reason chopping the forest lead to water saying bye-bye and welcoming hard, regular and extensive famines.