Improving the functionality of water investments in the drylands

Water investments in the drylands are critical for water and food security, where access to water is essential for domestic and productive uses, including livestock production and rain-fed cultivation. Yet, ensuring the sustainability of water investments in the drylands remains an ongoing challenge, with evidence of approximately 20-40% failure rates of rural water supplies across East Africa and beyond. Despite global improvements in water coverage, the functionality and long-term sustainability of improved coverage has lagged behind, often with a limited understanding on how and why investments in water supply fail.