Water is life. That is why the growing demand for it, against its limited temporal natural endowment and increasing scarcity, could result in devastating conflicts and catastrophes, especially in the arid and semi-arid north.
The Constitution provides for a devolved response to the stewardship and management of water and other natural resources. And experience illustrates a shift towards a governance approach that is inclusive, integrates available technologies to achieve resilience to floods and drought and works across scales from the settlement to the catchment.
But while devolution is a slow process and the challenges are many, recent observations show that increasing local agency in water resource development helps to alleviate such emergencies. Nevertheless, more concerted action is still needed from the centre to increase water facilities.
Kenya has serious challenges in the management of its water resources to satisfy sectoral demands. Hence, the first natural water resource management strategy provides a clear, accountable and transparent road map for assessing, maintaining, enhancing, developing and managing the limited available renewable fresh water resources using an integrated approach and on a sustainable basis.
The low level of development of this resource — at less than 20 per cent (1.6 billion cubic metres 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. And global water demand is projected to outstrip supply by 2030.
But the volume of groundwater on earth is 100 times larger than fresh surface water. It therefore makes sense to use this source of high quality water for human and livestock consumption as 90 per cent of the country’s animals are reared in the north.
With the 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 thus 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). The Chaffa Chachane high-density Polyethylene-lined embankment pan/dam and the Malalba, Boji Gare and Iressa Teno homogeneous earth fill pans, some of the mega projects being implemented by Ennda, which was established in 1989.
The wide basin lies along the livestock migratory routes that serves more than 70 per cent 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.
Mr Adankhalif is a disaster, risk and policy consultant. [email protected]
