This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
October 1, 2019, marked a significant day for the residents of Ilula village in southwestern Kenya, as they gathered to discuss the conservation of the Mara River. The meeting, facilitated by the Empowering Lives International Centre, aimed to address the alarming decline in the river's water levels.
For over a decade, environmental groups have raised concerns about the Mara River, citing population growth, illegal logging, and overuse of its waters as major contributors to the decline. The residents of Ilula village, however, have been working tirelessly to conserve the forest around their homes, which has helped to slow the drying of the river.
Isaac Chereger, a local farmer, expressed pride in the community's conservation efforts but acknowledged that more needed to be done. To address this, the Empowering Lives International Centre has partnered with the Stockholm Environment Institute to introduce a water evaluation and planning (WEAP) tool. This digital tool generates a forecast on the health of a water source, enabling communities to adapt quickly and find effective ways to slow the drying of the river.
Chereger and his fellow villagers are eager to incorporate the WEAP tool into their conservation efforts. 'The Mara River provides us with pasture and water for our cattle. If this innovation can help prevent the bad use of the river, then we are ready to work with it,' he said.
The Mara River basin, which spans over 13,750 square kilometers, is home to approximately one million people. The river's water levels have dropped significantly over the past few decades, with some residents recalling that in the 1990s, it was impossible for cattle to wade through any part of the river due to its depth.
Tom Ogol, a former researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute, highlighted several key threats to the river, including loss of forests along its shores and unsustainable agricultural activity. These factors, combined with climate change, have exacerbated the problem of droughts in the region.
