This report details outcomes from a workshop in Turkana, Kenya, on ‘Socio-economic aspects of flash floods, water and climate’, held in February 2022. The workshop discussed how water and flood risks relate to socio-economic inequalities, as well as critical gender and intersectionality considerations.
Kenya
Improving water and hand-washing services in rural health care facilities in Kitui County, Kenya
This brief presents policy recommendations for improving water and hand-washing services in rural health care facilities through a professional service delivery model. Annualised costs to provide safe and reliable water and soap services are estimated from actual cost data, providing a basis for County-level budgets and investment planning.
Investing in professionalized maintenance to increase social and economic returns from drinking water infrastructure in rural Kenya
This policy brief is based on 10 years of research in Kitui County, Kenya, supported by the REACH programme, the USAID Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership, UNICEF, ESRC and UKAID. It finds the investment case for professionalized maintenance of drinking water infrastructure becomes compelling when factoring in wider social and economic returns.
Legal and policy change to promote sustainable WASH services in Kitui County, Kenya
This report outlines water policy development in Kitui County, Kenya, over the past 10 years. The key contributions of the Kitui Water Bill and Policy are detailed, as well as three core recommendations to continue moving towards sustainable WASH services.
Fear, Efficacy, and Environmental Health Risk Reporting: Complex Responses to Water Quality Test Results in Low-Income Communities
This paper investigates how water quality information influences water safety management in rural Kenya. The authors find that while poverty threatscapes and gender norms hinder behaviour change, test results can motivate supply-level managers to implement hazard control measures.
Global prospects to deliver safe drinking water services for 100 million rural people by 2030
This report documents a global diagnostic survey to evaluate the status and prospects of rural water service providers from 68 countries.
Individual choices and universal rights for drinking water in rural Africa
This paper seeks to understand which attributes of water services rural people value. The authors modelled more than 11,000 choice observations in rural Kenya by attributes of drinking water quality, price, reliability, and proximity.
Summary Report | Water Security for Climate Resilience
This Summary presents the main findings and recommendations of the Water Security for Climate Resilience Report.
Water Security for Climate Resilience Report
This report presents a synthesis of published and ongoing research by REACH which explores the relationship between water security, climate and climate adaptation decisions. The report draws on findings from REACH research conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Exploring water access in rural Kenya: narratives of social capital, gender inequalities and household water security in Kitui county
This study uses qualitative methods to examine how values embedded in social capital enable women and vulnerable groups in Kenya’s Kitui County, to cope with household water insecurity.
