Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Isiolo County

The 2023 study found that only two of nine assessed water investments were fully functional, with many others limited by inadequate maintenance, vandalism, and resource-based conflicts. While community-led planning and local knowledge improved sustainability, the report highlights a need for dedicated maintenance financing, better technical siting, and genuine gender inclusivity in management committees.

• As of October 2023, the functionality of the nine assessed investments varied: two were functional, five were functional but not in use, and two were non-functional.
• Long-term functionality has been hindered by a lack of regular maintenance, such as desilting and component rehabilitation; specifically, four investments that were functional in 2019 were no longer in use by 2023.
• Inter-community resource-based conflicts and insecurity have led to the destruction of infrastructure and the relocation of assets. For example, at the Harr Buyo Water Pan, the fence, pump house, storage tank, and gate were vandalised during conflicts between neighbouring communities.
• The sustainability of investments is enhanced when local knowledge is integrated into planning, such as the community practice of using certain boreholes as strategic water points only during the rainy season to preserve rangeland for the dry season.
• Incorrect technical siting can lead to project failure, as evidenced by the Kobe Dadach Guracha Borehole, which was deemed unsuccessful due to poor siting decisions.
• Gender inclusivity in project governance remains insufficient; while Ward Planning Committees comply with the two-thirds rule, men significantly outnumber women in site management committees, with the Belgesh Water Pan committee consisting entirely of men.

APA

Jebiwott, A., Osumba, J., Orindi, V., Ododa, K., Magoma, I., Waqo, J., Duba, D., Karaho, E., & Redda, R. (2024). Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Isiolo County. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Isiolo_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Jebiwott, Alice, Joab Osumba, Victor Orindi, Kennedy Ododa, Ivy Magoma, Jacob Waqo, Dida Duba, Esperanza Karaho, and Robi Redda. Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Isiolo County. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2024. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Isiolo_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{jebiwott2024assessing, author = {Jebiwott, Alice and Osumba, Joab and Orindi, Victor and Ododa, Kennedy and Magoma, Ivy and Waqo, Jacob and Duba, Dida and Karaho, Esperanza and Redda, Robi}, title = {{Assessing the effectiveness of locally-led public good climate investments in water infrastructure in Isiolo County}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/Technical%20Brief_Isiolo_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }