Proceedings of EnviroInfo and ICT for Sustainability 2015

The Citizen Field Engineer: Crowdsourced Maintenance of Connected Water Infrastructure. Scenarios for smart and sustainable water futures in Nairobi, Kenya

Authors
Fanny von Heland, Marcus Nyberg, Anna Bondesson, Pontus Westerberg
Corresponding Author
Fanny von Heland
Available Online September 2015.
DOI
10.2991/ict4s-env-15.2015.17How to use a DOI?
Keywords
ICT; smart water management; drinking water; sustainability; social impacts; slums; urban development; Nairobi; scenario analysis
Abstract

Sustainable water supply is a profound problem in slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Smart water management that integrates information and communication technology (ICT) to monitor water resources, diagnose problems, improve efficiency and coordinate management can help to overcome supply challenges as well as strengthen public participation in governance. This study applies scenario planning methodology to analyze the potential of a novel smart water concept, Citizen Field Engineer, to address water challenges in Nairobi’s slums, for example problems with water pollution and intermittent supply. The concept combines multi-functional sensors to monitor water supply with an innovative ICT-based governance model where residents in the local community are employed as service engineers. Looking at how this concept would apply in Nairobi’s slums, the scenario analysis suggests that the concept could potentially help to improve water availability, affordability and quality, including gender equality as women bear the main responsibility for collecting water. The analysis also suggests that an implementation of the concept could have a positive impact on children’s school attendance as water related diseases are an important factor behind low educational attainment. The study concludes that smart water management that integrates ICT is an important step to address challenges around sustainable water supply.

Copyright
© 2015, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Volume Title
Proceedings of EnviroInfo and ICT for Sustainability 2015
Series
Advances in Computer Science Research
Publication Date
September 2015
ISBN
10.2991/ict4s-env-15.2015.17
ISSN
2352-538X
DOI
10.2991/ict4s-env-15.2015.17How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2015, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Fanny von Heland
AU  - Marcus Nyberg
AU  - Anna Bondesson
AU  - Pontus Westerberg
PY  - 2015/09
DA  - 2015/09
TI  - The Citizen Field Engineer: Crowdsourced Maintenance of Connected Water Infrastructure. Scenarios for smart and sustainable water futures in Nairobi, Kenya
BT  - Proceedings of EnviroInfo and ICT for Sustainability 2015
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 146
EP  - 156
SN  - 2352-538X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/ict4s-env-15.2015.17
DO  - 10.2991/ict4s-env-15.2015.17
ID  - Heland2015/09
ER  -