Co-developing technical and social innovations for sustainable water resource management in Kenyan smallholder farming systems through diffusion of a Collaborative Learning approach

Eva Hilt

University of Hohenheim, Institute for Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Deutsches Institut für Tropische und Subtropische Landwirtschaft (DITSL GmbH), Witzenhausen

Challenges

Water resource management in Kenya is challenged by rapid population growth, little renewable surface and groundwater resources, environmental degradation, extended dry seasons, unpredictable precipitation patterns, inequitable distribution and increasing contamination of water resources (e.g. Marshall, 2011). As this situation is forecasted to aggravate even further, local communities are in need of inclusive and innovative processes to address water issues and conflicts.

Collaborative Learning is suggested as a promising approach to facilitate change in complex, context-dependent and uncertain problematic situations aiming for transition towards sustainability, especially for low-external input farming systems in the Global South (RESTREPO et al., 2018). Collaborative Learning promotes methods that give non-academic actors decision power in an innovation process and that integrate and expand their knowledge and capabilities, leading to improved action (RESTREPO et al., 2014). However, RESTREPO et al. (2018) also observed that implementation of collaborative learning is time and human resource consuming. Moreover, the approach fulfils the characteristics of a social innovation (Kistler, 2019) and as such needs further application until it can find access to the general and scientific practice. This research therefore suggests to develop, facilitate and analyse an actor-led diffusion process of collaborative learning to farms facing water-related challenges.

Objectives

This research aims to work on two levels:

Content level: Contribute to the co-development of strategies to better deal with water resource management and possible conflicts:

RO 1) understand the current water resource management on smallholder farms and in the communities by using a system approach

RO 2) co-develop and implement social and technical innovations to address water scarcity challenges through application of the Collaborative Learning approach

Methodological level: Advance the diffusion of Collaborative Learning for the co-development and implementation of solutions to complex sustainability challenges:

RO 3) evaluate the outcomes of the CL approach based on farmers’ ability to implement the social and technical innovations for sustainable water resource management

RO 4) design, analyse and evaluate the farmer-led diffusion of the collaborative learning process as a means to enhance the co-development and implementation of innovations.

Expected results

The expected results can be attributed to the two levels of research. On the content level, this research will lead to a common understanding of the problematic situation, restrictions and disturbances regarding on-farm and communal water availability and use. Multiple stakeholders will contribute to an inventory of best (local) water management practices and other relevant technical and social innovations that can be used to co-identify strategies to address the problematic water situation. The testing and further adaptation of these strategies will increase farmers’ awareness and capacities to facilitate change on their farms and address water-related problematic situations. Their efficiency in the use and management of water will be increased.

On the methodological level, this project will develop a participatory diffusion approach of collaborative learning as a social innovation as well as a conceptual framework for the scientific analysis of its implementation. This contributes to the scientific knowledge about the diffusion of social innovations, the individual, institutional and structural factors influencing the process. Recommendations for the further development and independent spread of collaborative learning approach as a transdisciplinary research method can be given.

Methods

The proposed research adopts a transdisciplinary action research approach and combines qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. 4-6 interest villages in Nakuru County, Kenya, motivated to engage in a collaborative learning process to solve their water-related problems are identified.

• Systemic analysis of farmers’ water related management and governance as well as co-identification of best practices and context-adjusted technical and social innovations to address the identified water challenges through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions.

• Monitoring & Evaluation of selected innovative water management strategies through suitable socio-economic and technical on-farm parameters as well as iterative focus group discussions.

• Design of the diffusion framework through a meta-analysis of case studies published in peer-reviewed journals, looking into aspects such as participant selection, characteristics and motivations, process phases, success factors and challenges. Semi-structured interviews (critical incident questions) and iterative focus group discussions will be used to evaluate the diffusion process together with the involved actors.