Community perception on rainwater harvesting systems for enhancing food security in dry lands of Kenya : a case study of Uvati and Kawala sub-location in Mwingi District, Kenya

Abstract: Community rainwater harvesting systems are seen as instrumental in increasing resilience in recurring droughts and enhancing food security in dry lands of Kenya. The study explores and analyses the implementation process, community’s perceptions on the rainwater harvesting project/ technology and its influence on the adoption process by the community. By using a case study of two sub-locations-‘Uvati and Kawala’ in Mwingi District, the study targeted both the participants and non-participants of the In situ rainwater harvesting project. The study used both empirical data and theoretical studies to address the research questions: why and how the rainwater harvesting project was implemented? Does the implementation process affect the community’s perception on the project? How is the rainwater harvesting technology perceived by the community? And, does the perception influence its adoption of the rainwater harvesting project? The methods used to generate data included literature materials, interviews, focus group discussions and direct observations. The results revealed that the rainwater harvesting technology is seen by the community members to be a good initiative in improving agricultural practices in periods of water scarcity. However, the technology’s sustainability and wide spread adoption seems unlikely, as its success is mainly directed and depended on the social factors. Majority of the factors that influence the adoption process based on the community perceptions were found to be: labour intensity of constructing the structures, lack of technical know-how and extensive training, dissemination of information and its future plans were not properly conducted. The implementation approaches used by the project initiators affected the perception of the community, which influenced the adoption of the project. The outcome of the study shows that the decision to adopt rainwater harvesting systems is dependent and influenced by the community’s perception, and better understanding of their choices in making decisions.