A longitudinal study on locally-led water infrastructure investments in select arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya

The longitudinal study evaluates water projects in Kenya's ASAL regions, finding a decline in functionality from 2019 to 2023, while highlighting the benefits of community-led investment and the critical need for dedicated operations and maintenance funding.

• The overall functionality of water investments declined between 2019 and 2023; functional projects dropped from 51.6% to 38.7%, while non-functional projects increased from 14.5% to 19.4%.
• Despite the decline, sustainability is possible, as 59.8% of the investments remained functioning eight to ten years after the first investments were implemented.
• Technical failures and poor maintenance are primary drivers of non-functionality, specifically pump malfunctions in boreholes and siltation in water pans and earth dams.
• Poor siting of infrastructure, often caused by inadequate geological and hydrological assessments or a lack of actionable climate information, has rendered some projects non-functional.
• Governance challenges include a lack of dedicated budget for operations and maintenance (O&M) at the county level and insufficient technical training for site management committees.
• The application of the principle of subsidiarity—involving communities in the identification, design, and management of projects—has fostered a sense of local ownership and resilience.
• Water infrastructure investments have provided significant socio-economic benefits, including reduced time burdens for women fetching water, increased school attendance for children, and improved food security through supported agriculture.
• Environmental benefits include habitat restoration, reduced soil erosion, and the creation of microenvironments that attract wildlife and support biodiversity.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2024). A longitudinal study on locally-led water infrastructure investments in select arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN_Functionality%20Study%20Synthesis%20Report%20Kenya_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. A longitudinal study on locally-led water infrastructure investments in select arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya. 2024. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN_Functionality%20Study%20Synthesis%20Report%20Kenya_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=A longitudinal study on locally-led water infrastructure investments in select arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya |date=2024 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN_Functionality%20Study%20Synthesis%20Report%20Kenya_WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2024longitudinal, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{A longitudinal study on locally-led water infrastructure investments in select arid and semi-arid counties in Kenya}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/CDKN_Functionality%20Study%20Synthesis%20Report%20Kenya_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }