Indigenous technical knowledge in water development: an investigation into the role of indigenous technical knowledge in development of sustainable rural water supplies

Water development interventions in developing countries often marginalize the rural indigenous technical knowledge and instead, rely solely on modern technological advancements. The genesis of this is the partial and biased understanding that has emanated from inflexible application. The development process fails to take cognisance of the fact that indigenous cultures contain the bases for any effective development, awareness of which is central in the construction of sustainable strategies for rural water development. Recognition of this would take development forward from where the people are, rather than where the external agents of development would like them to be. This research carried out among the Maasai pastoralists of Kajiado in Kenya assesses the application of indigenous technical knowledge in which is their water development is embedded in order to find out the effects of incorporating rural peoples' technical knowledge in the development and management of the rural water supplies. [Continues.]