This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
Published on June 7, 2020, by RASHID ADANKHALIF
Water is life, and its scarcity can lead to devastating conflicts and catastrophes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like northern Kenya.
The Constitution of Kenya provides for a devolved response to water and natural resource management, which has led to a shift towards inclusive governance, integrating technologies to achieve resilience to floods and droughts, and working across scales from settlements to catchments.
However, devolution is a slow process, and recent observations show that increasing local agency in water resource development helps alleviate emergencies. Nevertheless, more concerted action is still needed from the centre to increase water facilities.
Kenya faces significant challenges in managing its water resources to meet sectoral demands. The first natural water resource management strategy provides a clear, accountable, and transparent roadmap for assessing, maintaining, enhancing, developing, and managing the limited available renewable freshwater resources using an integrated approach and on a sustainable basis.
The low level of water development, at less than 20% (1.6 billion cubic meters per annum) against the surface water potential of 7.4 BCM and groundwater potential of 1.0 BCM per annum, calls for extensive investment to achieve its maximum use.
Providing enough fresh water for a growing population and increasing industrial production is critical, yet climate change affects rainfall patterns and water distribution. Global water demand is projected to outstrip supply by 2030.
However, the volume of groundwater on earth is 100 times larger than fresh surface water, making it a sensible source of high-quality water for human and livestock consumption, as 90% of the country's animals are reared in the north.
With increasing scarcity, by 2030, more than half of Kenyans will live in areas with high water stress. Water conservation and protecting water bodies and forests, as well as increasing water efficiency, is an increasingly important task that requires technical solutions and mindset change.
The efforts of northern Kenya counties, which have allocated huge budgets for water resource development, are laudable. For instance, the Falama Water Project in Mandera, an initiative of the county government, will supply fresh water to more than 3,000 county residents.
Others are pans constructed by the Ewaso Ng'iro North River Basin Development Authority (Ennda), such as the Chaffa Chachane high-density Polyethylene-lined embankment pan/dam and the Malalba, Boji Gare, and Iressa Teno homogeneous earth fill pans.
These mega projects are being implemented by Ennda, which was established in 1989, and lie along the livestock migratory routes that serve more than 70% of the area's domestic animals.
More such water projects in the arid north would improve the quality of potable water, reduce trekking by women and children, and curb the death of animals as they migrate across the border in search of pasture in the Ethiopian highlands.
