Decentralizing and monitoring water safety in urban informal communities: The case of Nairobi, Kenya

Globally, low-income informal urban populations often rely on small-scale water vendors operating kiosks and tankers instead of piped water utilities. Recent studies found that these vendors provide drinking water to over 50% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population, but this decentralized distribution faces challenges with treatment, monitoring, and regulation, which is further threatened with climate change. This session highlights a case from Nairobi, Kenya, where co-production of knowledge between researchers and practitioners led to a unique pilot program which empowers and incentivizes vendors to treat water while augmenting municipal capacity to oversee and monitor quality. The session will include a presentation on the research and co-design process, followed by a panel

discussion with the implementing partners including Nairobi County (Public Health), Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, Slum Dwellers Institute, and Aquaya. The session will offer lessons on shifting research into practice, and insights into innovative models that promote equitable access to clean water while building resilience against climate change vulnerabilities including contamination of water supply.