Drought is a complex natural phenomenon with profound impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and society as a whole. Understanding drought patterns and trends is crucial for effective water resource management, agricultural planning, and disaster preparedness. In this blog, Dr Solomon Gebrechorkos and Prof. Simon Dadson explore the journey of developing and utilizing high-resolution drought datasets to unlock insights into drought dynamics at local and regional scales.
Africa
Water scarcity forcing rural Kenyan women to devise coping mechanisms
In the past few years, most women and youths in Kilifi County have struggled with access to water for diverse activities due to climate change, limited networks, and income. Thus, access to and use of water is often negotiated and shaped by intrahousehold dynamics and government institutions. While women tasked to provide water for their families create networks to sustain access to water and diversify water sources. men move out for better jobs, and youths take up commercial water provision roles.
What can the rural water sector learn from francophone West Africa?
Meleesa Naughton Many countries are looking to expand rural water services and improve service levels for people living in small towns and rural areas by investing in small, decentralised piped water services. Francophone West Africa has a long history of delegating...
Model results for scale-up of professionalized water services maintenance in Kenya suggest functionality gains and reduced government spending
Pranav Chintalapati, University of British Columbia Over the past decade, new approaches for rural water maintenance service provision have emerged, disrupting the status quo of community-based management and government intervention. FundiFix is one of a new cohort of...
The future of sustainable water resources management: integrating new technologies with the wisdom of the people
Congratulations to Dr Behailu Birhanu, a researcher in groundwater management from the REACH team at Addis Ababa University, who was awarded the best oral presentation at the International Conference on Water Resources Management and Sustainability: Solutions for Arid Regions earlier this year. In this piece Dr Behailu reflects on key takeaways from the conference, held in person in Dubai.
Water insecurity, equity and resilience
REACH launches new collaboration on the role of gender norms and relations within and beyond the household to advance water security for climate resilience.
Professionalized maintenance of rural water services: Four findings from Kitui County, Kenya
The second in our #WWD22 releases, this post is based on 10 years of research from Kitui County, Kenya, supported by the REACH programme, the USAID Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership, UNICEF, ESRC and UKAID. It presents key findings from a policy brief on investing in professionalized maintenance for rural drinking water services.
How social inequalities amplify water-related climate vulnerability
Dr Sonia Hoque, Dr Catherine Grasham and Dr Marina Korzenevica shed light on the lived experiences of water-related climate vulnerability to re-emphasise the importance of social research to ensure just outcomes in the fight against climate change.
REACH Climate Resilience Report: Water security is critical to advance climate resilience
Dr Katrina Charles summarises key messages from REACH’s new Water Security for Climate Resilience Report. The report synthesis six years of interdisciplinary research on climate resilience and water security.
Take the Survey! Global diagnostic of rural water service providers.
The REACH-RWSN 100M initiative is launching a survey open to rural water service providers globally to inform results-based funding. Open until 25 June.
