IFAD REGIONAL IMPLEMENTATION WORKSHOP
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IFADINTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
THE MANAGEMENT OF LAND AND WATER RESOURCES IN CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT:
LESSONS FROM MKEPP (KENYA)
MUTHONI F. LIVINGSTONEPROJECT MANAGER-MKEPP-KENYA
15-18TH NOVEMBER, 2010 MAPUTO- MOZAMBIQUE
INTRODUCTION
The Republic of Kenya has an area of 586,000 square kilometers
Has a population of 38.3 million people (2009) 75% of this population live in the rural areas and
rely on agriculture for most of their livelihood. The country is mainly arid and semi arid (80% of
the country) with about 20% classified as arable. 75% of the population is concentrated within the
arable 20% of the country Kenya has five main water catchment towers for
most of her water requirements.-Mt Kenya being the Most Important
National Environmental Challenges
Population pressure on land especially on the 20% which is arable
Soil erosion especially on the ASAL and the sloping grounds.
.High poverty levels due to unemployment and low land productivity
Flooding due to poor catchment protection productivity- causes overexploitation of natural resources.
Non optimal management and use of Natural Resources
Low Forest cover (only 1,7% as opposed to 10% needed for environmental sustainability)
National Environmental Challenges cont.
Forest excisions to other competing use especially agriculture and urban
Food insecurity due to poor food distribution and low land productivity
Increased pollution of water resource from urban and rural centres putting great pressure on water resource.
Poor monitoring of water resource use.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MOUNT KENYA ECOSYSTEM
Provides water to 2 million people,two major irrigation schemes,3 national parks.
Contributes 49% of Tana river flow –most important river in kenya.
Tana reservoirs generates 80% of country hydro- power.
World heritage site(UNESCO 1997) and biosphere reserve (1978)-has an international meteorological station.
Important biodiversity conservation.
Mt Kenya National Park & Forest Reserve
World Heritage site- 1997 ( 2800 sq.km)Importance Biosphere Reserve 1998Source of many rivers
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF MT. KENYA ECOSYSTEM-
Protected Area High population pressure. one million people
Live within10 km of the forest boundary. Encroachment Forest Fires Poaching of forest produce. Overgrazing Human /wildlife conflicts Over abstraction of water.
MT KENYA FOREST HAS LOST 92% OF ITS ICE MASS WHICH COMPRISE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF WATER SOURCE
GLACIER RESIDING
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF MT. KENYA ECOSYSTEM-
FARM LANDS Poor water and soil conservation. Over exploitation of farm trees. Poor solid waste management. Poor water conveyance and utilization.
technologies. Poor water resources management. Low farm productivity-crops and livestock.
ENCROACHMENT INTO WILDLIFE PROTECTED AREAS cont….
Livestock influx in forests/parks
•Illegal settlements and human activities
Summarized Results of human activities in the forests/farmlands
Increased poverty Over exploitation of natural resources. Food insecurity Accelerating climate change.
STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES
The Government of Kenya and her development partners have embarked on various strategies and activities towards addressing the challenges both within the protected areas and the farmlands.
One of the strategies is the Mt. Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources management (MKEPP-NRM) which is funded by Government of Kenya (GOK), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Global Environment and Climate Change (GECC), formerly Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the local community.
MKEPP OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of the project is to reduce poverty through improved food security and improving levels of income of farmer’s particularly rural women by;
promoting more effective use of natural resources, improving access to water and introducing better farming and water management practices for sustainable use of land and water resources.
The immediate sectoral objective of the project is to enhance equitable use of natural resources with particular focus on environmental conservation. The project aims at halting and eventually reversing environmental degradation and decreasing poverty.
Specific objectives/activities
Capacity building at the local level to achieve more water management through equitable abstraction of river water and its more efficient use for irrigation;
Minimising human/wildlife conflict around the Mt, Kenya Forest Ecosystem through erection of barriers and other game control measures
Rehabilitation of degraded areas within the Mt. Kenya Forest Ecosystem Environmental conservation and rehabilitation in the areas adjacent to rivers
concentrating on soil erosion control on farms and on road sides; Improvement in Water resource Management through community participation
in order to increase dry season base flow and reduce sediment loads and pollution in these rivers( WRUA);
Improving agriculture productivity and promoting marketing of agricultural and natural resources based products to raise household income.
Strengthening governance at the local level for better land use and water management( WUAs;CFAs/IGAs
Increased rain water harvesting and exploitation of alternative water sources.
Outcomes/Impacts of project
The project is in its seventh and last year of its implementation and same impacts have started being realized as follows:
Communities are managing Natural resources through participatory approaches and strengthened community based legal groups( WRUAs;CFAs)
More water use efficiencies and improved forestry management( RGS;ABSTRUCTION/DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES;PFM)
More alternative water sources relieving pressure on surface water eg sub-surface dams, roof catchments, rock catchments can contribute to climate change mitigation
Improved tree cover- inside protected areas and farmlands
Lessons Learnt
Involvement of Local communities is key to sustainanble Natural Resources mgt- Communities should gain directly or indirectly through IGA´s
NRM requires approaches and policies that are multisectoral
Climate change mitigation is a challenge that requires action from all sectors
NRM requires the use of indigenous traditional knowledge together with modern technologies/approaches
EVERY DROP COUNTS,
COUNT EVERY DROP.
Thank you
AHSANTE SANA
