This guideline sets out practical options for water resources managers for amending existing water use rights systems to better support inclusive rural development and farmer-led irrigation while also ensuring the sustainable use of limited water resources.
Inequalities
Considering gender when promoting small-scale irrigation technologies
This IFPRI tool provides a guide and structured set of questions to assess gender dynamics in irrigation in a specific context. The questions can be used to collect information prior to, during, or after project implementation to inform different strategic approaches of the project.
Empowerment and water security among pastoralist women in the Maasai and Samburu communities of Northern Kenya
This study explores questions around women, water and gendered power relations in Laikipia and Samburu counties of Northern Kenya using qualitative methods.
A Hybrid Approach to Decolonize Formal Water Law in Africa
This study, funded by REACH as part of an Accelerated Grant, explains the state of water permitting in sub-Saharan Africa and proposes a hybrid approach to water law as the way forward.
Gender dimensions of community-based groundwater governance in Ethiopia: using citizen science as an entry point
This study uses a citizen-science approach to community-based monitoring of groundwater to improve governance, while also empowering women in Ethiopia
Gender and water security in Burkina Faso: lessons for adaptation
Residents of Burkina Faso’s Nouaho sub-basin are exposed to water-related hazards such as inadequate quantities of water, poor sanitation, and flooding, which are exacerbated by climate change. This brief explores gender-differentiated water security risks in Nouaho sub-basin, with the aim of informing the development of adaptation strategies in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.
The water diary method – proof-of-concept and policy implications for monitoring water use behaviour in rural Kenya
The water diaries method consists of collecting comprehensive evidence on daily sources, uses, cost and sufficiency of water, along with weekly household expenditures. In this paper, published in Water Policy, the authors pilot the water diaries method in Kitui, Kenya and evaluate its measurement, internal and external validity.
Avoiding the water-poverty trap: Insights from a conceptual human water dynamical model for Coastal Bangladesh
In this study, the authors use water modelling to examine the dynamics between water related risks and poverty for an embanked area in coastal Bangladesh.
Current challenges and good practices for water use authorisation systems in Africa
Experiences in the implementation of water permit systems in Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, show common challenges, good practices, and areas for improvement, particularly in how permit systems address the needs of small-scale water users.
