How to manage crises differently in ASALs without talking about a nexus: what we can learn from the water sector?

We have known for decades that the international aid model for responding to emergencies does not work well where crises are frequent. Long-term development planning struggles to deal with crises, often leaving the responsibility to separate emergency interventions – but these short-term measures often undermine longerterm strategies. Various theoretical approaches have been proposed for addressing this fragmented situation, but with little success.

SPARC’s recent research on the provision of water in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of eastern Africa offers a different way of addressing the issue. By identifying the specific problems caused by the lack of integration between emergency water interventions and water development, sensible solutions can be found without getting bogged down in jargon around the development–water–peace ‘nexus’ or in resilience frameworks.

This same approach offers more practical ways forward than the struggles that arise when the starting point is the architecture of emergency assistance rather than a shared responsibility for providing a reliable water supply.