Sustainable Water Sources in Eastern Africa: Small NGOs’ Access to Geoscience Expertise - Update
Based on results from this project, Brenda Wagaba has suggested a framework for addressing major barriers to water-focused NGOs’ access to geoscience expertise. Such barriers include bureaucratic hurdles, donor restrictions on funding, incomplete and outdated datasets, and a lack of understanding of what data could be beneficial to access.
Brenda Wagaba, an MSc candidate at Cranfield University (UK), has submitted her thesis, which was carried out in partnership with Geology for Global Development. Brenda Wagaba’s thesis provides important context for understanding the barriers, and enabling factors, to the use of geoscience data and expertise by small and medium NGOs working to deliver water and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) projects in Eastern Africa.
Informed by 44 responses to an online survey and 16 in-depth interviews of stakeholders, Brenda identified barriers to the use of geoscience data such as bureaucratic hurdles, incomplete and outdated datasets, and lack of understanding of what data could be beneficial to access.
The research also revealed that working with experts was hindered due to prohibitive hiring costs and expert availability. Brenda also identified donor restrictions on funding and timing as an obstacle to the integration of geoscience data and expertise into water and WASH projects.
Based on these results, Brenda has suggested a framework for addressing the major barriers. GfGD and Cranfield University will continue to collaborate to further understand these challenges and innovate solutions by engaging with key stakeholders.
To further Brenda Wagaba’s expertise on these topics and support her professional network, GfGD sponsored her attendance at Loughborough University’s 42nd Water Engineering and Development Centre International Conference in September 2021.
We invite your comments and reflection on all of our research work, including this study – please contact Dr Hannah Hilbert-Wolf at hannah@gfgd.org.