Sustainability Transitions in Heterogeneous Contexts: An integrated perspective on basic service innovation in informal settlements

The need for transitioning towards more sustainable technologies, products and sector structures has received increasing attention in academia and policy circles over the past two decades. Despite representing a truly global challenge, the majority of extant conceptual frameworks drew on insights from a few OECD countries and sectors – energy, transport and water – that are highly centralized and materially and institutionally homogenous. The present paper examines whether these frameworks are also suitable for analysing transitions in more heterogeneous contexts. By investigating the relevance of key concepts in the transitions literature – ‘socio-technical regimes’, ‘technological innovation systems’ and ‘practices’ - we reconsider the analytical qualities and limitations of extant frameworks. We reflect on insights gained from a set of case studies in the provision and use of water and sanitation services in informal settlements of the city of Nairobi. High degrees of heterogeneity characterize this context due to widespread poverty, social inequality, fragmented public service provision, informal economies and unreliable formal institutions. This case therefore represents an antipode of sorts to the conventional application contexts of transition studies. We reflect the generic relevance of key transition concepts, and reconsider their interpretation for better addressing the challenges of transitions in heterogeneous settings. These reflections enable the formulation of an enlarged set of transition pathways, provide a fresh view on how actors can contribute to transitions, or not, how power relationships come to bear and highlight the role of interconnections among transition activities at different geographical scales. The proposed framework results in much more than just applying established transition concepts to a new geographical context. It calls for a renewed perspective on transition theorizing, at large.