Co-operation, institutional quality and management outcome in community based micro hydro schemes in Kenya

Community based micro hydro grids in developing countries have characteristics like those of man-made common pool resources like irrigation commons. While empirical testing of the conditions that enable collective participation and subsequent successful self-governance within irrigation commons and other CPRs is widely studied, there is very limited analysis of enabling conditions for energy commons. This study contributes towards the study of CPR management by identifying individual characteristics that influence their participation levels in such energy commons, and secondly interrogates the role of institutional arrangements and other relevant conditions in predicting management outcome in self-governed micro hydro schemes in Kenya. The findings indicate that more education; trust for peers and higher allowance for electricity increase cooperation among users. Additional relevant conditions such as higher installed capacity, bigger groups and having clearly defined boundary of users also seem to increase the chances of success in self-governed micro hydro schemes in this study.