IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i3p560-d199769.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Indicators: Monitoring Cross-County Water Cooperation in the Nzoia River Basin, Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Abby Muricho Onencan

    (Policy Analysis Section, Multi-Actor Systems (MAS) Department, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Building 31, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, P.O. Box 5015, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Bert Enserink

    (Policy Analysis Section, Multi-Actor Systems (MAS) Department, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Building 31, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, P.O. Box 5015, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Bartel Van de Walle

    (Policy Analysis Section, Multi-Actor Systems (MAS) Department, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Building 31, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, P.O. Box 5015, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Kenya Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) Impact Report indicates a stagnation in water coverage at 55 percent, for the last three years, contrary to the 2015 target of 80 percent. One main reason for the stagnation is weak cross-county cooperation between hydrologically interdependent governments. WASREB has little guidance on what indicators to use to enhance cross-county water cooperation. Through literature review, we assess whether the UN-Water methodology for assessing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.5.2 would provide useful guidelines. Based on the literature review outcomes, we design a water policy game known as Nzoia WeShareIt. After that, we play seven-game sessions in four county governments (Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, and Trans Nzoia), on 11–22 July 2016. We use the in-game and post-game questionnaire data to measure learning outcomes on interdependence and cooperation. The findings indicate that Nzoia WeShareIt policy game as a form of experiential learning increased understanding on the value of cross-county cooperation. The study constitutes a practical guideline to WASREB and a quick reference tool to be explored when designing indicators to monitor cross-county cooperation. We also propose a mixed method approach that incorporates team interdependence indicators as distinct and separate indicators from cooperation. Moreover, we recommend strengthening SDG 6.5.2 indicator to measure transboundary water cooperation inputs, processes and outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Abby Muricho Onencan & Bert Enserink & Bartel Van de Walle, 2019. "Sustainability Indicators: Monitoring Cross-County Water Cooperation in the Nzoia River Basin, Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-30, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:560-:d:199769
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/3/560/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/3/560/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hussam Hussein & Filippo Menga & Francesca Greco, 2018. "Monitoring Transboundary Water Cooperation in SDG 6.5.2: How a Critical Hydropolitics Approach Can Spot Inequitable Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-9, October.
    2. Abby Muricho Onencan & Bert Enserink & Bartel Van de Walle, 2018. "A Study of Trust and Cooperation in the Nzoia River Basin Using a Water Policy Game," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Edward Lorenz, 1988. "Neither Friends nor Strangers," Post-Print halshs-00483728, HAL.
    4. Abby Muricho Onencan & Bartel Van de Walle, 2018. "From Paris Agreement to Action: Enhancing Climate Change Familiarity and Situation Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-30, June.
    5. Hussam Hussein & Mattia Grandi, 2017. "Dynamic political contexts and power asymmetries: the cases of the Blue Nile and the Yarmouk Rivers," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 795-814, December.
    6. David Grey & Claudia Sadoff & Genevieve Connors, 2016. "Effective Cooperation on Transboundary Waters," World Bank Publications - Reports 24047, The World Bank Group.
    7. Mark Zeitoun & Naho Mirumachi, 2008. "Transboundary water interaction I: reconsidering conflict and cooperation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 297-316, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abby Muricho Onencan & Lian Ena Liu & Bartel Van de Walle, 2020. "Design for Societal Resilience: The Risk Evaluation Diversity-Aiding Approach (RED-A)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-28, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tobias Renner & Sander Meijerink & Pieter Zaag & Toine Smits, 2021. "Assessment framework of actor strategies in international river basin management, the case of Deltarhine," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 255-283, June.
    2. Hüseyin Gökçekuş & Farhad Bolouri, 2023. "Transboundary Waters and Their Status in Today’s Water-Scarce World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Naho Mirumachi & Margot Hurlbert, 2022. "Reflecting on twenty years of international agreements concerning water governance: insights and key learning," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 317-332, June.
    4. Mariana Rivera-Torres & Andrea K. Gerlak, 2021. "Evolving together: transboundary water governance in the Colorado River Basin," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 553-574, December.
    5. Jianan Qin & Xiang Fu & Shaoming Peng & Yuni Xu & Jie Huang & Sha Huang, 2019. "Asymmetric Bargaining Model for Water Resource Allocation over Transboundary Rivers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-23, May.
    6. Abby Muricho Onencan & Lian Ena Liu & Bartel Van de Walle, 2020. "Design for Societal Resilience: The Risk Evaluation Diversity-Aiding Approach (RED-A)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-28, July.
    7. Mohsen Nagheeby & Jeroen Warner, 2018. "The geopolitical overlay of the hydropolitics of the Harirud River Basin," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 839-860, December.
    8. Hussam Hussein & Filippo Menga & Francesca Greco, 2018. "Monitoring Transboundary Water Cooperation in SDG 6.5.2: How a Critical Hydropolitics Approach Can Spot Inequitable Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-9, October.
    9. Lauri Ahopelto & Noora Veijalainen & Joseph H. A. Guillaume & Marko Keskinen & Mika Marttunen & Olli Varis, 2019. "Can There be Water Scarcity with Abundance of Water? Analyzing Water Stress during a Severe Drought in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-18, March.
    10. John Meadowcroft & Mark Pennington, 2008. "Bonding and bridging: Social capital and the communitarian critique of liberal markets," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 21(2), pages 119-133, September.
    11. Joyeeta Gupta & Aarti Gupta & Courtney Vegelin, 2022. "Equity, justice and the SDGs: lessons learnt from two decades of INEA scholarship," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 393-409, June.
    12. Frank Pyke, 1988. "Co-Operative Practices among Small and Medium-Sized Establishments," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 2(3), pages 352-365, September.
    13. Agni Kalfagianni & Oran R. Young, 2022. "The politics of multilateral environmental agreements lessons from 20 years of INEA," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 245-262, June.
    14. Haucap, Justus, 2017. "The rule of law and the emergence of market exchange: A new institutional economic perspective," DICE Discussion Papers 276, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    15. Sturgeon, Timothy J., 1997. "Does Manufacturing Still Matter? The Organizational Delinking of Production from Innovation," UCAIS Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, Working Paper Series qt2g22d9d2, UCAIS Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, UC Berkeley.
    16. Paula Hanasz, 2017. "A Little Less Conversation? Track II Dialogue and Transboundary Water Governance," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(2), pages 296-309, May.
    17. Ranjay Gulati & Maxim Sytch, 2008. "Does familiarity breed trust? Revisiting the antecedents of trust," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2-3), pages 165-190.
    18. Noorderhaven, Niels G., 1995. "Transaction, interaction, institutionalization: Toward a dynamic theory of hybrid governance," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 43-55, March.
    19. H.D. Watts & A.M. Wood & P. Wardle, 2003. "'Making Friends or Making Things?': Interfirm Transactions in the Sheffield Metal-working Cluster," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(3), pages 615-630, March.
    20. Buchs, Arnaud & Calvo-Mendieta, Iratxe & Petit, Olivier & Roman, Philippe, 2021. "Challenging the ecological economics of water: Social and political perspectives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:560-:d:199769. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.