Water dialogue presentation june 2014-kitaka

Prof. Nzula Kitaka: Aquatic scientists
Egerton University, Kenya
Water Dialogue-26 June 2014

 Water is a precious natural resource, vital for life,
development and the environment.
 It can be a matter of life and death, depending on how
it occurs and how it is managed.
 It can be an instrument for poverty alleviation, lifting
people out of the degradation of having to live without
access to safe water and sanitation.

 Inadequate water in quantity and quality, serve as a limiting
factor in poverty alleviation and economic recovery, resulting
to
◦ poor health and
◦ low productivity,
◦ food insecurity, and
◦ constrained economic development.
 Therefore, what we get out of water depends largely upon
what we put in terms of management and use
 Thus, we should ALL get involved in thinking of new ways
of managing water to improve its efficient, equitable and
sustainable use, to the benefit of the mankind and
environment.

 Extreme spatial and temporal variability of climate and
rainfall is one of the significant features affecting
water resources in Africa, with far-reaching
consequences for water-resources management.
 The above variations have resulted in abundant water
resources in some areas and endemic spreading drought
and scarcity of water in others, especially where low
annual rainfall is accompanied by low levels of internal
renewable water resources.

 Available water resources are being depleted through man-
made actions that reduce both their quality and quantity.
 Water contamination is increasing across the country, from
industrial pollution, poor sanitation practices, discharges of
untreated sewage, solid wastes thrown into storm drains.
 The consequences of the deterioration of water quality include
eutrophication and the proliferation of invasive aquatic plants.
 Poor land use and agricultural practices compound these
problems.

 Concentrations of waste frequently exceeds the ability of the
water systems to assimilate them, resulting to water-borne and
water-based diseases having become widespread.
 The consequent deterioration of water quality is a significant
indicator of depletion of available water resources. Which
increases the cost of managing water resources and at worst
increases water scarcity
 The African Water Vision 2025 identified that in the past
three decades, agricultural production has increased at an
average of less than 2% per annum, while population has risen
at about 3%

 Worse still, scenarios suggest that if the area under
irrigation were to grow by a factor of three to over 16
million hectares, this would only represent a 5-percent
contribution to the threefold food production increase
needed by 2025.
 On Kenyan scenario the scope for expanding irrigation
is, therefore, considerable however, it is apparent
that there is an even greater scope for expansion
of rainfed agriculture if, agriculture is to make the
necessary contribution to Kenya’s socio-economic
development.

 Like other countries in Africa, Agriculture is the
greatest user of water in Kenya, thus water scarcity
interprets to inadequate water for sustainable food
production
 New challenges like climate change are expected to
exacerbate the rainfall pattern variability and make
the scenario worse, if opportunities for the constraints
are not tackled; improve financing & encourage
privatization in the water sector

 The African Water Vision 2025 intended to move
Africa from the current scenario to where the African
continent would ensure that water available in future
is sustainable and adequate in quantity and quality to
meet competing demands in the long term
 The vision approach was designed to generate
massive public awareness of the risks of inaction, and
to encourage innovative and lateral thinking on
water-resources problems.
 The vision identified three crucial water sector areas;
◦ water supply and environmental sanitation,
◦ water for food, and
◦ water for nature and conservation

 Kenya is a water scarce country, with < 1000m3
per
capita of renewable freshwater supplies (UNEP 1999)
 More than 80% of Kenya is made up of Arid & semi-
arid lands
 Rainfall variability coupled with high populations
growth rate have resulted to
 Limited Socio-Economic Opportunities

 Majority of the water sources are highly polluted due to
◦ Poor hygiene (poor sites of toilets-distance)
Water
Tank
Toilets &water
tank next to
each other

 Multimillion Economic venture (irrigation
farming & geothermal power production)
Verses
 Global bio-integrity system (Ramser Site)
And
 Human dependency on ecological services
(provided by the system)

 Industrial and urban wastewater input into water
systems

 Increases soil erosion and associated nutrients, Hence
 Increase in sediment load
 Water volume reduction
 & Eutrophication
Sediment transport and loading
Reduced water levels
Soil Erosion

 By the year 2006 (after water act 2002), 57% of
Kenyans (36.6 million people) had access to improved
drinking water while
 42% had access to improved sanitation facilities
Kenya Uganda Tanzania
Rural 34-45 % 35-42% 22-26%
Urban 70-76 % 60% 64%

 By 2008, Kenya was classified in the category of
progress but insufficient compared to other countries
ON TRACK (only 26 countries in Africa out of 54) eg
SA) towards achievements of MDGs on improved
water target by 2015.
But
 On Sanitation MDG targets, Kenya lies in the countries
NOT ON TRACK
 WHY is Kenya in this condition more that 4
decades after independence???

 Its important to note that almost 35% of rural water
supply systems in most cases are not operating
 Third of the rural populations (20 +million persons)
have access to improved water supply through piped or
Point systems, though not sufficient
 UNDP estimated that Kenya piped system has more
than 740,000 connections, but most of these experience
poor maintenance thus hindering the water availability
and consequently water for use, hence livelihoods
through slow Socio-Economic development

 Kenya and Eastern Africa at large has impending
challenges within the water sector; water quantity,
water quality and wastewater management- a stumbling
block to Sustainable Economic Development.
 Water supply remains a challenge- urban slums and
rural areas where water is rationed if at all available.
 Only 16.4% of service providers (WSPs) in Kenya
supply water consistently.
 Given the location of the region (Sub-Sahara Africa),
the climate change effects, and the seasonal water
scarcity, improving the water supply is an uphill task.

 In Kenya only 60% of the urban population and 40%
of the rural area have access to safe water,
 At the same time wastewater treatment facilities
operate only at 16% of the intended design capacity,
 Sewerage connection is estimated at 19%.
 The sewer transport system is no better, with only
60% of the input reaching treatment plants.
 The challenge gets worse considering that only 14%
of the population is covered by the sewer network
(NWSS, 2007).

 The water industry needs to be innovative to
deliver good water quality reliably and
efficiently with low environmental impact
 Water sustainability can only be achieved if
the new challenges on changes in climatic
conditions is taken into considerations
(Climate Change).

 The hydrological cycle is one of the natural
phenomena that is greatly affected by the
concentration of greenhouse gases and climate change
 Consequently WATER could be the key medium
through which early climate change impacts will be
experienced affecting;
 sustainable economic development and
 poverty reduction measures.
 Although climate change affects all countries, the East
African region is particularly vulnerable, Kenya
included.

 However, uncertain, the socio-economic development
pathways and climate change responses make
attribution and planning extremely difficult.
 In Kenya, their impacts are compounded by other
uncertain biophysical and socio-economic parameters.
 The present deficit in new technological knowledge
and capacity may exacerbate uncertainty within the
water sector.
 Incomprehensive resource accounting, monitoring and
regulation results in frequent supply shortages,
unaccounted supply losses and unfulfilled demands

 These uncertainties and other variables present a
challenge for water resources managers and
stakeholders.
 Thus, there is need to enhance resilient adaptive
management systems and decision making to reduce
uncertainty.
 The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
developed an analytical approach for short-term
strategic decision making, under conditions of long-
term uncertainty, which could be useful in the EA
situation.

 According to SEI, Kenya has a risky sectorial
protection programs BUT with constrained and
expensive budgets,
 This necessitates adaptation options including
institutional capacity building, risk reduction and
pilot-based actions.
 The adaptations should addresses a range of current
and future climate-related risks.
 However, SEI suggests that, in adopting a Water
Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) model,
climate adaptation scenarios must include;

 Demand and Supply interventions,
 Ecosystem Management, and
 A “full adaptation” scenario combining all
three options (Demand, Supply & Ecosystem)

 A long-term solution to reduce, reverse or mitigate the
impact of climate change is to make climate-smart
innovations a development priority in the water sector,
particularly targeting water quality, quantity and waste-
water management.
 The East African Climate Innovation Network
(EACIN) survey on climate change innovation showed
a skew towards agricultural related and energy
innovations with 43% in agriculture, water and energy
shared 50% equally, and 7% to multifunctional
innovations (mainly in energy and agriculture).

All the previous
provinces were in
cooperated in the
survey

 From the EACIN survey, innovations in the water
sector relating to adaptation and mitigation of climate
change impacts studied mostly were;
◦ Individually generated by the innovators themselves but
targeting to address their immediate or societal problems.
◦ 71% of the water innovations and technologies surveyed
focused on local communities, particularly in an attempt to
address water quantity (47%) challenges,
◦ While those focusing on catchment management were much
fewer (18%).
 Notably was the low innovation support for the
innovators, either financially, technical or market info.

 Kenya has realized the need for technological
innovation policy wise as stipulated in the Science,
Technology and Innovation Act, 2013 Section 45(1)
 However, EACIN survey gave an indication that the
innovations in the water sector are locally relevant and
play a role in adapting to water scarcity and climate
change.
 Evidence portrayed by the highest percentage (24%) of
the innovators trying to adapt to climate change within
the water sector were from Mandera County, which is
one of the driest part of Kenya

Innovators of water-related
innovations in Kenya
Targeted beneficiaries of the water
innovations in Kenya

Highest education level of individual
innovators in Kenya.
Age of the individual innovators of water
related innovations in Kenya

Reasons for innovative ideas in
the water sector
Motivation to keep up with the
innovation

 There is a great need for Innovators to partner with
other associates
 Majority of the partners in innovations are those
offering funding (donors) and advisory services
 However, the technical support offered by the expert
partners is low, as well as the business potential offered
by partners or investors in the initiatives.
 This creates a huge gap and offers opportunity for the
private sector, either to partner with the innovators to
enhance commercialization or invest in the sector so
that the efforts to combat the impacts of CC in the
water sector are enhanced. Water Dialogue-26 June 2014

 51% of the water
related innovations
are in partnership
especially with
organizations
(35%) being the
major partner.
 49% are individual
based
Partnering in CC-related water innovations

Role of partners associated with
water innovations
Duration of partnerships in the water
sector with the innovators

 Innovators face
individual obstacles
that hinder their
success in establishing
innovations.
 According to the
EACIN survey, the
challenges are
realized as early as in
the operation phase

 From the EACIN survey, there is clear lack of
support at all levels of water-related innovations.
 The notable challenges, are lack of financial support,
non-availability of practical and technical skill
support, lack of market-oriented information and
challenges in protection of the innovators’ ideas
through patenting.
 Further, most of the innovations which attracted
minimal support are those targeting water provisions
mainly for agriculture, domestic purposes and
hygiene at local level (individual and family).

 Low attention is paid to water resource management and
innovations targeting the wider market and the upgrading
of current existing public systems
 Since Kenya is already classified as a water-scarce
nation, there is very little option, but to reconsider
existing policies and regulation, and create new policies
to support innovation and new technologies targeting the
identified water sectors that are not receiving the
attention they deserve.
 These includee; catchment management, upgrading of
existing public systems and wastewater re-use.
 The innovators who participated in the EACIN survey
identified various challenges relating to policy support

 There is need to encourage local water service
providers to adopt the new innovations and
technologies by Kenyans
 To attain Kenya’s Vision 2030, water scarcity issues
(quantity and quality) must be addressed to drive
development.
 New approaches must be encouraged, including
initiatives to support communities participation in
catchment management through carbon trading,
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) among others
 New policies targeting homestead or community-
based water harvesting should be encouraged.

 At the same time, as climate change pushes the need for more
irrigation, emphasis should be placed on increased use of
harvested water coupled with strict catchment management
 Further, it is necessary to enhance increased support for water
innovations and development of new technologies (financial,
technical and entrepreneurship)
 EACIN highly recommends the implementation of the Climate
Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) of 2010, because it
identifies water as one of the sectors requiring climate change
adaptation interventions, research, technology development,
absorption and diffusion.
 These actions forms a platform for climate-smart innovations
and the development of new technologies for sustainability in
Kenyan water sector

Tip-tap water tap
Category: Water quality/Sanitation
Location: Kisumu Polytechnic
Innovator: Joseph Kamasia
Existing partnership: Kisumu Polytechnic;
NACOSTI
Bicycle Water Pump
Categories: Water provision from shallow
wells for domestic use and irrigation
Location: Kisumu Polytechnic
Innovator: Alex Odundo
Existing partnerships: NACOSTI; Kisumu
Polytechnic

Water Defluoridation
Category: Water quality management
County: Nakuru
Innovator: Catholic Diocese of Nakuru
(CDN)
Existing partnership: Catholic Church of
Kenya

Utilization of water hyacinth in paper production
Category: Water quality and sanitation
Location: Takawiri Initiative
Innovator: Otieno Michael

Rain Water Harvesting (runoff
Category: Irrigation, Water conservation and optimum
utilization
Location: Lare, Nakuru County
Innovator: Benard Maina
Existing partnership: Egerton University, KARI – Njoro

Native Tree planting

THANKS - Asante

Water dialogue presentation june 2014-kitaka

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