In Turkana County, research by the University of Nairobi around Lodwar’s underlying aquifers is addressing critical data and knowledge gaps. Groundwater quality mapping indicates areas with poor groundwater quality to inform water infrastructure investments. This work contributing to new policy and practice to protect the Lodwar Alluvial Aquifer System and enhance resilience to climate risks.
Climate Resilience
REACH Exit Strategy
REACH’s Exit Strategy scopes out actions to promote the legacy of the programme, highlighting opportunities to sustain, scale-up, and scale-out our work.
Story of Change: Improving water security through Sustainable Land Management
This Story of Change discusses the role of Sustainable Land Management activities in securing water for livelihoods and household use.
Addis Ababa’s water crisis: challenges and opportunities
This brief lays out options to better monitor and manage groundwater use, and to improve the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater to support sustainability for Addis Ababa’s water supplies.
Intra-seasonal rainfall and piped water revenue variability in rural Africa
Rainfall patterns influence water usage and revenue from user payments in rural Africa. The authors explore these dynamics by examining monthly rainfall against 4,888 records of rural piped water revenue in Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda and quantifying revenue changes over 635 transitions between dry and wet seasons.
Gender gaps in sustainable land management and implications for agricultural productivity: Evidence from Ethiopia
This discussion paper looks at whether a large-scale watershed program promoting sustainable land management (SLM) in Ethiopia increases adoption of SLM in male-headed vs female-headed households. Our findings show that the SLM program significantly increased adoption of SLM practices (soil bunds, stone terraces, mulching) in male-headed households but that adoption was centered on jointly owned plots and male-owned plots, with no significant adoption on women-owned plots.
Key stakeholders and actions to address Lake Beseka’s challenges in Ethiopia: A social network approach
This discussion paper uses a social network approach to examine key actors, challenges and sustainable solutions to manage Lake Beseka, Ethiopia. The study suggests that developing multi-stakeholder partnerships or platforms across most influential and most affected actors could foster the development of more integrated solutions that support the different stakeholders in the lake catchment area and the Awash River Basin.
Observations of the Turkana Jet and the East African Dry Tropics
This article presents research from a field campaign in northwest Kenya on the Turkana Low Level jet, an intrinsic part of the African climate system and principle method of water vapor transport to the African interior from the Indian Ocean. Measured for the first time in 40 years, this dataset presents new evidence on the Turkana jet, and creates an opportunity to better understand regional dynamics in one of the most data-sparse regions in the world.
Modular, adaptive, and decentralised water infrastructure: promises and perils for water justice
This review summarises emerging realities for water insecurity in an era of disruption, and new developments that the authors call modular, adaptive, and decentralised (MAD) water infrastructure. These decentralised models require a justice-oriented framework to unlock the promise of sustainable access to safe, reliable, affordable water supply for a more mobile, just, and resilient world.
Climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene and resilience: a briefing paper from SWA Research and Learning Constituency
This brief was prepared by the SWA Research and Learning constituency in support of the 2022 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM) ‘Building Forward Better for Recovery and Resilience.’ It seeks to make available the latest research evidence on climate change, resilience and water, sanitation and hygiene for the preparatory processes leading up to the SMM and to support evidence-based follow-up action.