What was the challenge?
Reliable access to water remains a significant challenge for many rural communities, particularly in semi-arid areas where seasonal rivers and recurrent drought affect domestic water supply, agriculture and livestock production. In many locations within the Athi River Basin, declining river flows, degraded catchments and limited water storage reduced the availability of water throughout the year, increasing the time households spent searching for water and limiting opportunities for productive use.
What did CESPAD do?
The Promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Kenya project approached water infrastructure as part of a broader governance process rather than as a standalone construction programme. CESPAD worked with Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), county governments, the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and local communities to identify priority investments through participatory planning. Community priorities were documented in Sub-Catchment Management Plans, providing an evidence base for public investment in water resource management.
The planning process informed investments in water infrastructure designed to improve water availability while supporting catchment conservation. Our project evidence shows that county governments invested in interventions that included the construction of sand dams, protection of springs, rehabilitation of irrigation canals and protection of existing water infrastructure. These investments were linked to locally identified priorities and implemented through collaboration between communities and public institutions.
What was produced?
We documented improvements in access to water following implementation of these interventions. Communities reported reduced time spent collecting water, while protected water sources and improved storage increased the availability of water for domestic use and productive activities. In addition to improving household water security, these interventions supported environmental conservation by reducing pressure on vulnerable water sources and encouraging more sustainable management of catchments.
What changed?
The infrastructure investments also strengthened community participation in water governance. Water Resource Users Associations contributed to planning, implementation and oversight of local interventions, while county governments and technical agencies provided institutional support. This collaborative approach reinforced shared responsibility for maintaining water infrastructure and protecting the natural resources on which it depends.
The experience demonstrated that investments in water infrastructure are most effective when they are informed by community priorities and supported by strong local institutions. Participatory planning enabled communities to identify the interventions that addressed their most pressing needs, while collaboration with county governments helped translate these priorities into publicly funded investments.
What did we learn?
Our experience illustrates that improving water security requires more than constructing infrastructure. Sustainable outcomes depend on governance processes that connect community participation, technical planning and public investment. By supporting these processes, the project contributed to water infrastructure that responded to local priorities while strengthening the long-term management of water resources within the catchment.