Water System Transformations: Findings from Kenya and Implications for Global Resilience

Dr. Patrick Thomson’s research frames water systems as complex adaptive systems that evolve under interacting economic, governance, ecological, and technological pressures. Building on his early engineering work, Thomson examines how integrated social and engineered systems respond to environmental and social stressors, generating non-linear responses in water access and health outcomes. Drawing on long-term, collaborative fieldwork in Kwale County, Kenya, Thomson illustrates how water systems respond dynamically to variability in rainfall, seasonality, and how these dynamics cascade into household health and community well-being.

Situating his findings within a broader systems framework, Thomson highlights connections to Arizona and beyond, underscoring how climate change, demographic pressures, and shifting governance regimes require us to rethink centralized water management and consider modular, adaptive and decentralized approaches to ensure resilient, equitable, and sustainable futures for water systems globally.