Social Networks in Water Governance and Climate Adaptation in Kenya

Abstract

In many sub-Saharan countries, studies indicate that water scarcity is caused by institutional and political factors. However, despite implementation of a decentralized and integrated approach in water governance, additional water stress from climate-related impacts now threaten to fuel water insecurity. Borrowing from social network theory, this chapter seeks to investigate how synergy among water governance actors influences adaptation status in rural Kenya. Network data from Loitokitok district in southern Kenya is collected using the saturation sampling method and analyzed for density, structural holes, and suitable brokers. Results indicate that rural water security is augmented mainly by individual rain water harvest, effective irrigation techniques, community-based water-point protection, and intermittent capacity building. However, the integrated governance strategy fails to aid interconnective and coordinative actions among actors thus hindering spread of adaptation strategies to the wider community and results in independent implementation of water conservation measures. Consequently, we call for deliberate linkage among local stakeholders to upscale adaptation measures and enhance water security in Kenya.