Imarisha Naivasha News - d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.netd2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/.../imarisha_naivasha... · “Imarisha Naivasha, Lake Na-ivasha catchment restoration ... the

I n 2011, the Government of

Kenya established the Imar-

isha Naivasha, Lake Na-

ivasha Management Board

to develop a programme – the

“Imarisha Naivasha, Lake Na-

ivasha catchment restoration

Programme”- to coordinate the

activities of the various players

engaged in the conservation of

the Lake and its catchment.

Imarisha Naivasha is modeled as

a public-private sector-people

partnership program that strives

to bring together all stakeholders

within the Lake Naivasha basin

and create a platform for their

engagement towards resolving

the myriad challenges that face

Lake Naivasha and its catch-

ment. The Lake Naivasha basin

is of great international signifi-

cance and comprises a unique

hydrological system. It is a key

wetland resource in the country,

a Ramsar site, biodiversity hot-

spot and an International Bird

Area (IBA).

T he basin is also an

economic hub support-

ing a vibrant floriculture

industry as well as tour-

ism, forestry, geothermal power

generation, fisheries, livestock,

small-scale farming, pastoralism

and other diverse business enter-

prises contributing to the rapid

urban development in the area.

However, there have been di-

verse environmental and devel-

opment challenges largely arising

from increasing human demands

for a wide range of goods and

services from the landscape. The

key challenges that are at the top

of our agenda as Lake Naivasha

Basin stakeholders include; the

decline in vegetation cover as a

result of man’s influences, eco-

system degradation, potential

loss of biodiversity, and lake level

fluctuations and river flows due to

variance in climate regime.

T he myriad challenges in

the Lake Naivasha

basin require a com-

mon objective among

the stakeholders, multi-sectoral

and multi-stakeholder solutions

that emphasize on modern and

specific technologies/innovations,

improved policies enhanced law

enforcement and market incen-

tives to address the challenges.

At the time of inception of the

Imarisha Naivasha Program, the

Lake Naivasha Basin stake-

holders were already engaged in

a strong consultative process

towards the development of an

Integrated Management Plan for

the basin. Imarisha joined hands

with the stakeholders and other

partners to support the comple-

tion of the process that gave rise (Continued on page 3

The scenic Lake Naivasha. Photo by: Till Muellenmeister/GIZ

Imarisha Naivasha: Three years on... I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Imarisha Naivasha: 3 years

on 1

Imarisha seeks better rela-

tions with new communica-

tions strategy

3

Population explosion major

challenge to LNB conserva-

tion, say experts

4

Imarisha Board inaugural

meeting 4

Eco-agriculture Partners’

Landscapes for People,

Food and Nature initiative

6&7

Power of GIS mapping in

Lake Naivasha Basin 8&9

International Water Steward-

ship Programme—Imarisha

Naivasha Water Stewardship

11

The changing fortunes of

Lake Naivasha fishermen 12&

13

Imarisha Naivasha News J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5

P A G E 2

I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S

700,000

The number of

people living within

the Lake Naivasha

Basin and

benefiting directly

from its abundant

natural resources

School children

drinking water from

a tap

Photo by: Till Muel-

lenmeister/GIZ

Lake Naivasha: A brief introduction

Hello, world!

w elcome to the inaugural edition of the Imarisha Naivasha news-letter, Imarisha

Naivasha News!

By joining us in our journey towards making the Lake Na-ivasha basin a better place for all residents, you have already

become a part of history.

Our organizational mantra, “In support of public-private sector-community partnership for sustainable development within the Lake Naivasha Ba-

sin”, remains a powerful impe-tus that drives us in everything

that we do.

We are committed to the ethos proclaimed in this simple state-ment in the execution of our monitoring and coordination role of conservation efforts

within the basin.

T his is what this news-letter is all about. We aim to bring together all partners and stake-

holders engaged in conserva-tion activities within the basin in order to ensure sustainable

use of resources.

E ssentially, this news-letter is in service to the public and to all stakeholders as a tool

for communication and knowl-edge-sharing on conservation

best-practices.

Karibuni sana!

The lake has no surface outlet. However, it is suspected that water from the lake seeps into the underlying volcanic rocks both southwards towards Mt. Longonot and Northwards towards Lake Elementeita. Increased abstraction of water for irrigated agriculture is also thought to be a significant con-tributor to the lake’s water

outlet.

Lake Naivasha is a popular tourist destination as well as an economic nerve centre with ever-growing flower, vegetable and fishing industries. The status of the lake is further elevated by its naming as a Ramsar site and an Important

Bird Area (IBA).

I n addition, the Lake’s ba-sin is also home to many small-scale farmers and pastoralists, supplying

domestic markets. Geothermal wells located at the southern side of the lake produce steam that drives electrical turbines to

L ake Naivasha is a shal-low (3–6 m) freshwater lake. It is the largest freshwater lake in

Kenya. It sits on Kenya’s Rift Valley floor with a catchment area spanning approximately 3,400 km2. It is situated in the eastern Rift Valley, about 100

km North of Nairobi.

There are an estimated 700,000 people residing within the catchment and benefiting directly or indirectly from its resources (according to projec-tions from the last population

census 2009). The surface area of Lake Naivasha varies be-tween 120Km2 and 160 km2. It lies within a closed basin at an altitude of 1890 me-ters above sea level (MASL) and derives up to 90 per cent of its

waters from River Malewa and River Gilgil, both of which are

perennial rivers.

produce electricity which is fed

into the national power grid.

Lake Naivasha lies within three ecological zones; Rift valley Floor, Kinangop Plateau and Mountains in upper catchment. There are natural forests (Aberdare, Eburu and Ki-nangop forests) in the upper catchment ranging from 2200- 2700 MASL, Hydrological sys-tems which include Lake Naivasha, Rivers Malewa, Gilgil, Karati and other their

tributaries.

G rowth in population and economic activi-ties has massively increased the pres-

sure on Lake Naivasha’s eco-systems over the last two dec-ades. In particular, deforesta-tion, catchment degradation, poor farming practices, nutrient loading and climate change have negatively impact water

quality and quantity.

A scenic

snapshot of

Lake Na-

ivasha at

sunset

Photo

credit: Till

Mullenmeis-

ter/GIZ

Editor’s Note

Eddy Ngeta

Communications Manager Imarisha Naivasha

Imarisha Naivasha: Three years on...

P A G E 3 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5

to the Lake Naivasha Basin Inte-

grated Management Plan

(LNBIMP). The LNBIMP was

launched on 28th April 2014 by the

Principal Secretary, Ministry of

Environment, Water and Natural

Resources, Dr. Richard Lesiyampe.

A s part of the implementa-

tion of the LNBIMP and

in line with its specific

mandate to develop a

program for the Lake Naivasha

Basin, Imarisha developed the Sus-

tainable Development Action Plan

(SDAP), a five year (2012-2017)

plan to guide the restoration and

implementation of the Lake Na-

ivasha Basin Integrated Manage-

ment Plan. The SDAP identifies the

key priority action areas in the

LNBIMP and proposes four out-

comes for consideration; these

include;

1. Lake Naivasha and its riparian

zone (as legally defined) are

protected and managed ac-

cording to “wise use” princi-

ples,

2. Land use and management in

the Basin contribute to sustain-

able development,

3. Water resource institutions,

mechanisms and facilities

across the Basin function to

regulate water use sustainabil-

ity,

(Continued from page 1) 4. Imarisha Naivasha recognized

and functioning effectively as a

coordinating institution.

To realize the aspirations of the

LNBIMP and the SDAP, Imarisha

continues to promote an integrated

approach to the management of the

Lake Naivasha Basin through ac-

tive engagement of the stake-

holders to ensure their support and

contribution to the program.

Over the last three years, Imarisha

has supported and steered the

implementation of over 50 commu-

nity micro-projects as a strategy to

resolve some of the challenges in

the basin. This has been made

possible through financial support

from; the Government of Kenya, the

German Cooperation for Interna-

tional Development (GIZ), the UK

retailer supermarkets (ASDA,

Sainsbury, TESCO, Mark &

Spencer), the Royal Government of

the Netherlands through their Em-

bassy in Nairobi and the Eco –

Agriculture Partnership under the

Landscapes for People, Food, and

Nature (LPFN) program.

T he funding for each of the

projects ranged from

Ksh.300,000/- to about

KShs.5million. The pro-

jects have been implemented in

four clusters that include the “no-

regret action projects”, the Imarisha

Naivasha Water Stewardship Pro-

ject (INWaSP), the Integrated Wa-

ter Resources Action Plan and the

Eco-agriculture Landscape for Peo-

ple Food and Nature program.

The “no regret action projects” were

initiated as medium level projects of

relatively high priority initiated to

create impact by resolving some

resolution of some of the chal-

lenges within the basin and at the

same time publicize the activities of

Imarisha.

A bout 28 micro-projects

were initiated under this

cluster with financial

support from the Govern-

ment of Kenya and the UK retailer

supermarkets. The array of projects

ranged from; tree-planting along

river riparian zones, forest reserve

and other degraded areas to en-

hance vegetation cover, tree nurs-

eries establishment as a source of

seedlings for planting, improving

fish handling facilities, biogas pilot

installations, rain water harvesting

and storage, solid waste manage-

ment through segregation, compos-

ing and value addition, environ-

mental protection & advocacy and

institutional capacity building of

community groups to enhance envi-

ronmental governance and natural

resources management within the

common

The Imarisha Naivasha Water

Stewardship Project (INWasp) was

a Kshs 46million co-funded project

between Imarisha Naivasha

through the financial support of UK

retailers (ASDA, Sainsbury,

TESCO, Mark & Spencer) and the

GIZ (German International Develop-

ment Cooperation) International

Water Stewardship Programme.

(Continued on page 10)

“ The Imarisha

Naivasha

Water

Stewardship

Project

(INWaSP) was

a KShs.46m

co-funded

project

between

Imarisha

Naivasha and

GIZ

P A G E 4


Michael On-

yango, one of

the consultants

who are devel-

oping a com-

munications

strategy for

Imarisha, ex-

pounds a point

during a con-

sultative work-

shop to discuss

the document

held on March

17, 2015 at the

Pyramid Hotel

in Naivasha.

The process is

Imarisha seeks better relations in the

basin with new strategy document

the communication needs of

different stakeholders that would

inform Imarisha’s messages and

platforms as the implementation

stage gets underway. A compre-

hensive communications needs

assessment instrument was

developed and administered

during the workshop, where

crucial areas such as messaging,

platforms and timing were ex-

plored.

Weaknesses and shortcomings

within Imarisha’s current commu-

nications were identified and

recommendations made by

stakeholders on how to over-

come them. The consultants,

Micheal Onyango and Sylvester

Mutune, duly made notes of

these recommendations and

promised to include them where

necessary in the final document,

which they promised would be

ready soon.

I marisha CEO, Kamau

Mbogo, lauded the one-on-

one meeting as sure to set

the stage for an overhaul of

Imarisha’s current communica-

tions tools and methods to en-

hance relationships with both

external and internal audiences.

Imarisha is mandated to oversee

and coordinate conservation

activities within the Lake Na-

ivasha basin.

Imarisha is seeking to consoli-

date its presence within the basin

as an oversight and coordination

agency in a bid to reverse the

massive degradation of the wet-

land, which is one of Kenya’s five

Ramsar sites - wetlands of inter-

national significance.

volved acquiring input from

stakeholders on what an ideal

communications outlook would

be like for the organization, which

has been mandated to oversee

and coordinate conservation

activities within the Lake Na-

ivasha Basin.

I marisha Naivasha’s commu-

nications strategy seeks to

respond to the need to have

a vibrant platform within

which all stakeholders within the

basin may share and learn from

one another on the challenges,

opportunities, success stories,

lessons learnt and knowledge

acquired through their diverse

day-to-day interactions with dif-

ferent elements that make up the

Lake Naivasha Basin landscape.

On March 17, the experts who

are developing this strategy for

Imarisha invited all stakeholders

to a consultative meeting whose

main objective was to establish

In the

news

...

D evelopment of Imarisha

Naivasha’s communication

strategy is in its final

stages with the recent

release of the final draft of the docu-

ment. This follows a long consultative

process among stakeholders, Imar-

isha and the consultants who are

developing the strategy.

A consultative workshop that was held

at the Pyramid Restaurant in Na-

ivasha on March 17 heralded the start

of the concluding stages of a process

that is set to overhaul Imarisha’s com-

munications outlook going forward.

With the development of a communi-

cation strategy, Imarisha Naivasha

hopes to consolidate its position as

the oversight and coordination agency

in conservation within a basin that is

dotted with many different players with

diverse interests and goals.

The communication strategy has been

under development since last year

and the concluding stages have in-

Imarisha Naivasha is seek-

ing to consolidate its posi-

tion in the Lake Naivasha

basin as the monitoring

and coordination agency

for conservation efforts


ingithi (Chairman) representing

industries and the business com-

munity in Naivasha, Andres ole

Koisamou, representing Civil Soci-

ety Organizations, Paul Ruoya

(WRUAs), Sarah Higgins (LNRA),

Joseph Kariuki (LNGG), Anne Wan-

yoike (CFAs), Raphael Ikiba

(Fisheries), Jim Mwangi (Tourism),

Enock Kiminta (Pastoralists), PS

T he Imarisha Naivasha

Board of Directors held its

first meeting since its

Gazettment on April 24,

2015. The new Board was consti-

tuted following the Gazettment of

16 individuals to form its member-

ship in Gazette notice number

1559. The members of the ne

Board are as follows: Cyrus Kar-

Environment, CEO Kenya Water

Towers Agency, CECs Nakuru,

Nyandarua and Narok counties,

KWS representative, Ewaso Ng’iro

South Development Authority rep-

resentative. Speaking while chair-

ing his first board meeting, Mr Kar-

ingithi said that the new board

would help enhance collaboration

with partners.

Imarisha Board inaugural meeting

In the news...

Experts: Population pressure big challenge to

conservation efforts in Lake Naivasha basin our immediate chal-lenge, to which we have so far not found an adequate answer, is to find a way to balance sup-ply against increas-

ing demand.”

“Most of them come from other towns and rural areas in

search of job opportunities in the horticultural and tourism indus-

tries,” he said.

As a result, Mbogo noted that, whereas just two decades ago the total population of the entire basin was around 200,000 peo-ple, “currently, more than 700,000 people live within the

Lake Naivasha Basin.”

Of the 700,000 people living within the Basin, 250,000 of them live in close clusters around the lake itself, crammed in the seven major settlements that have sprung up around the

country’s largest fresh water lake, without even the benefit of a proper

sanitation system.

Echoing these sentiments, the Na-tional Environmental Management Authority compliance officer in charge of Naivasha and Gilgil Sub-Counties, Mrs. Charity Kaara, said that the zebras that used to roam along the Naivasha-Nairobi high-

way had all but disappeared.

The two officicers made the re-marks during a visit by a delegation of students from the University of Tokyo in Japan, who were in Na-ivasha to learn more about what Kenyan institutions were doing with regard to sustainable development in the face of expanding human

settlements.

The students, from the University’s Graduate Programme in Sustain-able Science, were accompanied by their tutors as well as academics from the University of Nairobi’s Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace

and Environmental Studies.

Imarisha Na-

ivasha CEO,

Kamau Mbogo,

makes a pres-

entation during

a visit by Uni-

versity of

Tokyo students

at WRMA of-

fices

P opulation pressure poses the greatest challenge to sustainable development within the Lake Naivasha

Basin, environmentalists have

said.

According to Imarisha Naivasha CEO, Kamau Mbogo, population increase has led to loss of biodi-versity and shrunk the available

natural resource base,

“The massive increase in popula-tion means that there is even greater stress placed on these natural resources than before. So,

“ The

massive increase

in population

means that

there is even

greater stress

placed on these

natural re-

sources than

before.”

Kamau Mbogo

Eng. Cyrus Karingithi, the

chairman, Imarisha Naivasha

Board

P A G E 6

A member of the Ukweli Self-Help Group with some of their beehives in

the Kinangop Plateau. The group of 25 farmers are part of a group of

three CSOs working with Ecoagriculture Partners through Imarisha


“ The

LPFN is

an

international

collaborative

initiative of

knowledge sharing,

dialogue and action

to support

integrated

landscape

management

Eco-agriculture Partners’ quest to improve

the Lake Naivasha basin, one acre at a time

H ow best can man

derive sustenance

from the natural envi-

ronment without nec-

essarily causing harm to other

living organisms? Sustainable

development paradigms seek to

provide an answer to this impor-

tant question. Human population

explosion has fomented a crisis in

environmental management prac-

tice: with unsustainable increase

in population, there has been a

proportional rise in environmental

damage as people compete for

scarce resources and constantly

seek to expand the available

space for the growing of food and

building of houses by clearing

vegetation and reclaiming wet-

lands.

This dire scenario almost seems

to suggest that man and nature

can only exist in mutual exclusiv-

ity. However, the Landscapes for

People, Food and Nature (LPFN)

initiative seeks to provide a

counter-narrative to the erstwhile

predominant notion that environ-

mental management is all about

restricting human activities to save

nature from man’s greed and

materialism.

T he LPFN initiative is “an

international collabora-

tive initiative of knowl-

edge sharing, dialogue

and action to support integrated

landscape management in order

to achieve three simultaneous

goals: improved food production,

ecosystem conservation, and

sustainable livelihoods.” It seeks

to address global challenges like

loss of biodiversity, endemic pov-

erty and food insecurity by going

back to the “landscape level where

innovative practitioners are able to

identify connections between

agricultural production, livelihoods,

and the environment and harness

synergies in a more powerful

way” (LPFN website).

LPFN recognizes that communi-

ties, as agricultural producers, are

key stewards of ecosystems and

biodiversity promotion. Community

Based Organization (CBOs) and

Civil Society Organization (CSOs)

therefore play vital roles in engen-

dering conservation agriculture in

communities. An integrated eco-

system approach to the land-

scapes recognizes biodiversity

conservation, enhancement of

agricultural production and liveli-

hoods improvement as key goals.

L PFN is a global collabo-

ration of 60 partner or-

ganizations, one of which

is US-based Eco-

agricul ture Partners. Eco-

agriculture Partners work with

local farmers, communities, multi-

nationals and policy makers to

help diverse stakeholder groups

implement and support effective

eco-agriculture practices and

policies” Towards this endeavor,

Eco-agriculture Partners provides

direct support, education, training,

research, and policy analysis.

Within the Lake Naivasha Basin,

Eco-agriculture Partners LPFN

program is a US$30,000 initiative

targeting three CSOs as imple-

menting agencies. Eco-agriculture

Partners identified Imarisha Na-

ivasha as its partner in disbursing

the funds and monitoring and

evaluating how projects are being

implemented. Each group got a

KShs.380,000 cash award to

implement a project of their choice

with a strong LPFN theme.

By Clarence Makau,

Imarisha Naivasha

Feature


Below: A logo depict-

ing America-based

Ecoagriculture Part-

ners’ Landscapes for

People, Food and

Nature initiative

“ There is a very

high demand

for bamboo

products

because of

their durability

and aesthetic

value. Bamboo

matures

quickly and a

plantation

assures the

farmer of

regular

harvests .”

Patrick Maina

T he program is being rolled

out in five landscapes coun-

trywide, that include Laikipia,

Naivasha,,Embu,Bungoma

and Lari . According to the programs

manager of Kijabe Environmental Vol-

unteers (KENVO) in Lari, Mr. David

Kuria, landscapes comprise both the

physical environment as well as human

activities going on in the locality. They

are largely defined by what stake-

holders are doing within it.

“The objectives of the landscape are

looked at in a collaborative manner –

how can we work together to achieve

our common goals?” says Kuria. In the

Lake Naivasha Basin, environmental

conservation goes hand in hand with

livelihoods improvement as a common

goal. Every stakeholder keenly recog-

nizes the need to use the scarce re-

sources, especially water, sustainably

to guarantee equitable access into the

future. That is why LPFN carries

greater significance within the basin

more so in light of the work of three

CSOs chosen to pilot Ecoagriculture

Partners’ LPFN program in the basin.

Ukweli Self-Help Group

The Kinangop plateau is a vast and arid

plain nestled in Lake Naivasha Basin’s

middle catchment midway between the

Aberdare Ranges and Lake Naivasha.

This cold and dusty area is home to

Ukweli Farmers Group, one of the three

beneficiaries of Ecoagriculture Partners’

LPFN grant. Ukweli’s vision is spot-on:

to repopulate the land with trees and

vegetation that will act as wind-

breakers and attract rainfall. The group

of 25 farmers are engaging in bee-

keeping and encouraging their

neighbors to take up this environmen-

tally friendly economic activity. The

proceeds they get from selling honey

goes to a group kitty, part of which they

have used to buy land which will be

subdivided to members. The kitty also

helps them take care of bills such as

paying for school fees for members.

They plan to use the LPFN funds to buy

more hives and invest in better packag-

ing for their honey.

Eburru Community Forest As-

sociation

Eburru Forest is part of the expansive

Mau Forest Complex. The Mau is ar-

guably the most important water tower

in the country. Eburru Forest is home to

the Ogiek community who are histori-

cally forest dwellers. This might explain

their knowledge and ability to draw

resources from the forest without harm-

ing the environment.

Their indigenous knowledge has influ-

enced neighboring communities to

emulate them in conservation activities.

Eburru Forest CFA comprises over 900

members drawn from four zones: Ol

Jorai, Eburru, Ndabibi and Kiambogo.

Each of these zones comprise different

user groups – there are 13 user groups

in Ol Jorai, 12 in Eburru, 10 in Ndabibi

and 11 in Kiambogo.

B ee-keeping is one of the

major economic activities

undertaken by the CFA.

There are around 305 Lang-

stroth hives in Eburu forest, according

to group secretary Joseph Kamondo.

The traditional hives are 316. The

Langstroth hives are better because

they produce more honey as compared

to the traditional hives. They get up to

25kg of honey per Langstroth hive as

opposed to the 5kg per hive on the

traditional bee-hives. The hives are all

strategically placed in the forest, which

they have accessed with permission

from the Kenya Forest Service.

The Green Galaxy Self-Help Group

The Green Galaxy Youth Group is

based in Naivasha Town behind St,

Xavier's Catholic Church. The group is

involved in environmental conservation,

in particular bamboo propagation. The

small plot of land behind the church is

strewn with heaps of black plastic paper

and soil, testament to the work they are

doing here of developing a bamboo tree

nursery. The seedlings they raise are

sold to farmers in the surrounding vil-

lages for reforestation. Their work is

important because the area is very dry

and threatened with desertification.

A ccording to the treasurer,

Patrick Maina, the group

intends to popularize bam-

boo farming by availing

affordable seedlings on demand:

“There is a high demand for bamboo

products because of their durability and

aesthetic value. Bamboo matures very

fast and a plantation can guarantee the

farmer regular harvests .”

He says that they will use tissue culture

technology with help from Kitili Farm in

Kajiado County to propagate bamboo,

although they will also use cuttings. The

three species of bamboo that the group

plans to plant are: Oxytenanthera abys-

sinica (solid bamboo), Dendrocalamus

membranaceous cv, and Dendrocala-

mus asper.

P A G E 8

How GIS has improved data management in the Lake Naivasha

Basin enhanced institutional capacity

in visualization, monitoring and

evaluation, and detecting

change for landscape manage-

ment within the Lake Naivasha

Basin. The capacity of various

key institutions on GIS has

been enhanced through nu-

merous trainings. These train-

ings are carried out by Univer-

sity of Twente (ITC) through

the Young Experts Programme

(YEP) that has been spon-

sored by Imarisha Naivasha

and World Wide Fund for Na-

ture (WWF).

L ake Naivasha Basin is

endowed with abun-

dant natural re-

sources, which makes

it quite a significant landscape

in local, regional and global

perspectives. These resources

require sustainable manage-

ment and the application of

GIS knowledge becomes

handy for this purpose. GIS

involves mapping, which is the

creation of maps representing

significant features within the

Lake Naivasha Basin, as illus-

trated in the figure below.


A map of the Lake Naivasha Ba-

sin showing the twelve Water

Resource Users Associations

(WRUAs) The WRUAs are col-

our-coded while Lake Naivasha

itself is at the bottom of the

map in light-blue colour.

Graphics by: Carol Mutiso/

V arious institutions

within the Lake Na-

ivasha Basin are

adopting use of Geo-

graphic Information Systems

(GIS) as a tool for resources

mapping and data manage-

ment. The GIS platform has

Technology in Conservation…

with Carol Mutiso


decrease in vegetation cover, habi-

tat loss, deforestation, wildlife and

so on. Mapping tools are critical in

detecting change within the Lake

Naivasha Basin. Imarisha has con-

ducted an afforestation mapping

exercise of available tree nurseries

and tree planting sites by various

stakeholders within the basin.

T he results indicate that

there are enough tree

seedlings supply to farm-

ers in the entire basin.

Efforts are being made to map the

biodiversity hotspots within the

Lake Naivasha basin and degraded

sites for Afforestation and reforesta-

tion. With these data the distribution

flora and fauna now and in the fu-

ture can be identified.

A cross analysis of past and pre-

sent data sets presents a great

opportunity in Monitoring and

Evaluation.

w ith the application of

GIS knowledge,

maps of BEFORE

and AFTER projects

live can be utilized to evaluate the

project outputs and monitor pro-

gress even after their completion

because monitoring of progress

does not necessarily require physi-

cal field visits but generation of

satellite images to monitor

changes. Human activities around

the projects sites and the entire

landscape can be monitored as well

through the utilization of GIS

So, what has GIS done for Lake

Naivasha Basin?

A pplication of GIS knowl-

edge allows for better

viewing of data. It has

facilitated the visualiza-

tion of the location of Lake Na-

ivasha Basin in Kenya, the rivers

and streams in the basin, major

towns, the location of major pro-

jects, and so on. Mapping out of

project sites enables the organi-

zations to obtain an accurate

picture of where all the projects are,

which in turn aids them in project

monitoring. It also helps in logistic

purposes where monitoring activi-

ties are planned depending on the

project distribution within the basin.

With population increase comes

pressure to resources including a

A GIS generated

map showing the

area surrounding

the Lake Na-

ivasha Basin in

relation to the

Kenyan map. GIS

has enabled Imar-

isha Naivasha to

visualize the ba-

sin, for example

to aid in afforesta-

tion mapping of

all available tree

nurseries.

“ GIS allows

for better

visualization

of the data.

Mapping out

project sites

shows where

the projects

are

Technology in Conservation

P A G E 1 0

“ We

hope

that

you

will continue to

support us in our

journey towards

making Naivasha

a better place to

live in, for

ourselves and

generations to

come

Imarisha Naivasha: Three years on...

The project has been imple-

mented in the twelve (12)

WRUAs within the Lake Na-

ivasha catchment. The collabo-

rating partners in the INWaSP

are GIZ, the 12 WRUAs,

WRMA, Naivasha Basin Sus-

tainability Initiative (NBSI) and

Imarisha Naivasha.

T he overall objective of

the project was to

improve water stew-

ardship in the basin

by bringing together partners

from the private sector, the

public and civil society to ad-

dress shared water risks within

the Basin from a common vi-

sion and on the same platform.

The INWaSP supported resto-

ration activities through tree

planting, water, soil conserva-

tion, development of water

infrastructure to improve ac-

cess, training and capacity

(Continued from page 3) building, promotion of modern

innovations in water harvesting

and energy, adaptability to

climate change and improve-

ment of community livelihoods.

F ollowing the success-

ful completion of the

INWaSP, the partner-

ship is currently plan-

ning for a second phase. The

second phase will be widened

to include additional partners

and activities. The Integrated

Water Resources Action Plan

(IWRAP) is a four year (2012-

2016) project funded by the

Embassy of the Netherlands in

Nairobi through WWF and is

being implemented through a

partnership comprising of Imar-

isha, WWF, WRMA, ITC,

WRUAs, KFC and two Dutch

Regional Water Management

Authorities. The purpose of the

project is to support the part-

ners to improve capacity for

integrated water resources

management within the Lake

Naivasha basin. Imarisha initi-

ated discussions with the Eco-

Agriculture under the Land-

scapes for People, Food and

Nature program to develop a

long term program on promo-

tion of integrated landscape

management. The integrated

landscapes vision is premised

on development of smallholder

long term agricultural strate-

gies based on business mod-

els, optimized and sustainable

water resource management

for improved nature, people

and livelihoods.

T he overall objective is to contribute to in-crease in land produc-tivity, promote sustain-

able land use practices, im-prove the environment and ensure sustainable use and management of natural re-sources, especially water, within the basin. Ecoagriculture Partners is also providing tech-nical advice to Imarisha to-wards the establishment of a sustainable fund under the

IWRAP project.

In its three years of existence, the Imarisha story has been one of successful collabora-tion. Moving forward, we ex-pect improved stakeholder engagement as we build on the lessons learnt. We hope that the stakeholders and part-ners will continue to supporting us in our journey towards mak-ing Naivasha a better place to live now and in the future.

Pamoja tuimarishe Naivasha!

4

The number of

years that the

IWRAP pro-

gramme will take.


Matundura

Dam after

rehabilita-

tion

Photo by:

Till Muel-

lenmeister/

P A G E 1 1 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5

public sector capacity-building in

Kenya, GIZ supports Imarisha Na-ivasha in its efforts to coordinate the overall partnership. Under Phase I of

the partnership, retailers from the UK (Tesco, M&S, ASDA and Sains-

bury’s) provided 25 per cent (100,000 Euro) of the investment costs through Imarisha Naivasha.

GIZ with support from DfID (Department for International Devel-opment) and BMZ (German Federal

Ministry for Cooperation and Devel-opment) have provided the remain-

ing 75 per cent of the total cost of the project (300,000 euros). The WRUAs and participating communi-

ties provided their knowledge of the local context and developments, as

well as their time, to the project.

S ince the start of its opera-tions in October 2013, the

Imarisha Water Steward-ship Programme has real-

ized a number of achievements,

including:

Three WRUA’s have jointly protected seventy kilometres of

riparian zones.

Four communities, three schools and one dispensary are benefit-ting from improved drinking water supply through a roof

water harvesting initiative.

Twelve WRUAs have been trained in technical, manage-ment and governance issues. Three WRUAs have been sup-ported to develop their Sub-Catchment Management Plans

(SCMPs).

One common intake has been constructed that brings six water abstractors to a common ab-

straction point.

A common intake along Ntoya

stream

A video documentary has been

developed and disseminated to help sensitize communities in the area on the need and bene-

fits of catchment protection.

Three dams that had earlier broken their embankments have been repaired to increase their water retention capacity and provide water to a larger popula-

tion.

One dam and one spring have been protected through fencing to reduce pollution and common watering points for humans and

livestock constructed.

Two Water Allocation Plan (WAP) billboards have been strategically erected around the lake to create awareness on Lake levels and allowed ab-

straction volumes

Three major gabions and two check dams have been con-structed on a major gulley to reduce siltation of the Lake. Vegetation has also been en-hanced on the upstream side of

the gulley to reduce erosion.

A water pipeline has been con-structed from an existing bore-hole to provide water to a school and dispensary and a 50 m³ masonry tank constructed for

storage.

The completed 50m³ masonry tank at Enaiborr Ajijik in Mariba

WRUA

Joint implementation of activities and discussing responsibilities has worked to build relation-ships based on trust between

programme partners.

Gradually and due to a better func-tioning public sector, more invest-ments and engagement, and im-

proved participation of empowered communities and other stakeholders, the current negative impacts on the

water balance can be reversed.

T he International Water

Stewardship Programme (IWaSP) is an international water security programme

that combines global best practices in water stewardship with local know

-how. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH manages IWaSP on

behalf of the German Federal Minis-try for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the UK

Department for International Devel-opment (DFID). In 2013, as part of

its IWaSP activities in Kenya, GIZ partnered with Imarisha Naivasha, the Water Resources Management

Authority (WRMA) and the 12 Water Resources Users Associations in the Basin. Through the Imarisha Water

Stewardship Programme, the stake-holders are implementing measures

to improve water quality and in-crease reliable access to all water users. WRMA is tasked with manag-

ing, regulating and conserving water resources, ensuring stakeholder participation and enhancing equita-

ble allocation of water.

As part of its contribution, WRMA

provided technical advice to the WRUAs as well as training in gov-ernance, finance and management

topics. With its long track record of

International Water Stewardship Programme:

Imarisha Naivasha Water Stewardship Project

“ IWaSP is a six-

year programme

It facilitates

partnerships

between the

public sector, the

private sector

and civil society

to address

shared water

risks, while

improving

stakeholders’

use and

management of

water and

building their

capacity to

develop their

own solutions.

A complete common intake .

Photo by: Till Muellenmeister/

GIZ

P A G E 1 2

“ The

fisheries

subsector

employs an

estimated 80,000

people directly

and supports

another 800,000

indirectly,

according to the

Lake Victoria

Fisheries

Organization

A fish landing beach in

Lake Naivasha. Photo

by: Mathews Ngila

The changing fortunes of Lake Naivasha

fishermen

The fisheries industry plays an important role in the Kenyan economy by providing food and employment. The fisheries subsector employs an esti-mated 80,000 people directly and supports another 800,000 indirectly, according to the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organi-zation, a quasi-governmental organization whose member-ship is drawn from three East African Community countries – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. According to the organization, fisheries in Kenya contributed to 0.5 per cent of the GDP in 2006, with an annual growth

rate of 4.1 per cent.

In Lake Naivasha, the fishery industry thrives on fish species that were either introduced or found their way into the lake after escaping from dams in the catchment. The species include the largemouth bass or black bass ( Micropterus sal-moides) that was introduced to support sport fishing. There are also the Tilapia nigra and crayfish (a crustacean that was introduced into the lake to provide food for the bass), Oreochromis leucostictus, Tilapia zillii and Oreochromis nilocticus (that were introduced at different times to support

fishing), and the Carp and Clarius, which are believed to have escaped from dams and fish ponds in the catchment. Currently, there are four fish species that are of significant commercial importance. These are; the Carp (both the com-mon and mirror carp), Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Oreo-chromis leucostictus, and Tila-pia zillii), Clarius (catfish) and the Largemouth bass (black

bass).

Barbus (Adel) is also har-vested along the rivers and river mouths while the crayfish is present in the lake in large numbers. There is, however, a lack of strategy for its market-ing. The Common carp and Tilapia form the basis of an important gill net fishery while the bass are taken by rod and line for sport. Barbus are caught by dip net while cray-fish are caught using traps. The Common carp was first recorded in 2001 and is be-lieved to have escaped from the dams in the catchment during the El-nino rains. The Catfish which was first re-corded in 2013 is more of a by-catch as it has not gained enough interest among con-sumers. It is also believed to

have escaped from dams/fish ponds in the catchment during

the heavy 2012 rains.

Fish production

Total fish production from the lake has varied from less than 100MTs in 2002, to 623MTs in

2014.

The production increased tre-mendously in 2009 due to the low water levels, which made it easier for the fish to be caught. In 2014 the production in-crease is attributed to the fol-

lowing:

Restocking of the lake which was carried out

between 2011and 2013.

Increase in the number of fishing boats in the lake

from 50 to 100.

Failure to implement fish-ing closed season in the

lake during the year.

Consisted rainfall hence high water levels since 2012 which favors fish

breeding

Fisheries management

Lake Naivasha fishery is a limited access resource. Cur-rently, only 100 boats are li-censed to carry out fishing activities. Each boat is man-aged by 4 crews thus a total of 400 fishermen carry out fishing

activities.

There are 4 fish landing sites namely Central, Kamere, Karagita and Tarambete. Each landing site is managed by a committee referred to as Beach Management Unit (BMU). These are legal entities enacted through an Act of Parliament. Fisheries depart-ment therefore recognizes

4.1% The annual

rate at

which fish-

eries grew

in Kenya in

2006



and surveillance (MCS); car-ried out to remove illegal fish-ing gears and crafts in addition to ensuring breeding areas are protected from any fishing activity. MCS also ensures the lake is free from illegal fishers and that legal fishers are not

using illegal fishing methods.

Challenges

High number of illegal fishers. This is a socio-economic issue as youths are attracted to Naivasha by the employment opportunities in the flower farms. When they miss these jobs or when they are re-trenched as often happens, they result to fishing for liveli-

hood.

High number of illegal, unregu-lated and unreported (IUUs) fishing vessels. This is mainly because tourism activities in the lake are not regulated; anyone can make a boat and bring it to the lake in the name

of providing boat rides.

Lack of facilitation by the gov-ernment. Although the fisher-ies office has been getting facilitation through the fish levy trust fund which is contributed by the fishermen, there is a challenge when the same fishermen are caught commit-ting offences as they threaten

to stop contributing.

Lack of hygienic fish handling infrastructure and storage facilities; this leads to post harvest loses of fish especially when supply exceeds demand

in the market.

Water hyacinth and other float-ing macrophytes (Water flora). These inconvenience fishing activities in addition to destroy-ing fishing nets which leads to huge losses by fishermen. They are however a blessing

for fisheries as they provide a safe haven for fish in addition to providing fish breeding

structures.

Mitigation measures

All boats operating in the lake have to be registered and branded with a name and a registration number for easy

identification.

Capacity enhancement of the Fisheries department. (Purchase of more patrol boats, recruitment of enforce-ment officers and funding for

facilitation of MCS)

Continuous restocking of the lake will ensure increased

tilapia production.

Aquaculture development within the Lake Naivasha ba-sin will provide alternative source of fish in addition to providing employment oppor-

tunities.

Support by Imarisha Naivasha to fisheries

Funding provided through Imarisha has seen fish processing tables with shades constructed in three fish landing sites to improve fish handling. In addition, a food restau-rant was put up at Central landing beach. Provision of fuel for MCS activities facilitated the fisheries office to seize over 30 illegal boats and over 2000 illegal nets between

November 2014 and January 2015.

them as co-managers of the fisher-

ies resource.

The BMUs in Lake Naivasha have contributed a total of Kshs 6,000 out of a targeted Kshs 10,000 per boat towards restocking of the lake. They also contribute Kshs 50 daily per boat towards a Fish Levy Trust Fund that facilitates Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) in the lake. This is in addition to pro-viding vital information on any ille-

galities being committed in the lake.

The measures taken to manage fisheries in Lake Naivasha include,

but are not limited to, the following:

Annual closed season (June – August); this has however been declared unnecessary by scientists after carp dominated the lake fishery as it is known to be a prolific breeder and has never been overfished anywhere in the world. It is also unfriendly to the environ-

ment

Limitation on fishing effort; only 100 boats are licensed to fish in the lake with each boat allowed 10 nets of standard length whose mesh size is not

less than 4inches.

Protection of fish breeding areas; these have been deline-

ated and are protected by law.

Restocking of the lake; over 1million fingerlings of Oreo-chromis niloticus have been restocked so far out of the projected 6 million. This has improved tremendously tilapia production both in terms of quantity and size of the tilapia landed. Oreochromis niloticus has advantages over the other species of tilapia found in the lake in terms of maturity size, maturity period and adapta-

tion.

Regular Monitoring, control

Fishermen go about their busi-

ness in the lake. Photo by:

Mathews Ngila

“ Funding

provided

through

Imarisha has

seen fish

processing

tables with

shades

constructed

in three fish

landing sites

to improve

fish handling.

P A G E 1 4

Imarisha Pictorial


Participants during the Imarisha Water Stewardship feedback

meeting at the Lake Naivasha Panorama Resort take a pool-

side group photo/ Photo by: Imarisha Naivasha

Nakuru County Governor, Kinuthia Mbugua, addresses

participants during this year’s annual stakeholders’ con-

ference at the Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge/ Photo by:

Imarisha Naivasha

A farmer tends to his livestock near the Karunga Dam built

courtesy of the GIZ/ Photo by: Till Muellenmeister/GIZ

Enivironment PS, Prof Judy Wakhungu, during the 2015

International Day of Forests celebrations at Ndabibi Pri-

maru School on March 21/ Photo by: Imarisha Naivasha

Fishermen in-

spect their gear

before heading

out to the lake/

Photo by: Till

Muellenmeister/

GIZ

How WWF is enhancing food security in the Lake Naivasha

Basin through the use of water harvesting technology


W ater security is an integral part of liveli-hoods enhancement within the Lake Na-

ivasha Basin. Farmers use the scarce resource to grow their crops. The flower and hotel industries cannot survive without water, while pastoralists must provide it to their animals to prevent them from dying

of thirst. I

n realization of this, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been a key player in ensuring that access to adequate quality water is guaran-teed for all users within the basin by propagating modern water harvest-

ing technology.

Together with the State Department of Agriculture in Naivasha and local Community Based Organizations (CBOs), WWF has facilitated the construction and lining of water pans for rainwater harvesting in the dry areas of the Eburru Range

South-West of Lake Naivasha.

The water pans enhance water security for environmental conser-vation and food security within the Mariba Water Resource Users As-

sociation (WRUA).

The project was started 6 years ago and the community has since seen a marked increase in income, edu-cation levels for their children, and

social stability.

WWF in collaboration with World Vision worked on the first pans at the inception of the project. It is the work of the beneficiaries to exca-vate the pans, fence them off and provide casual labour at the time of

lining.

As the soils cannot hold water, WWF provides liners as well as well as 5 greenhouses to demonstrate efficient water use. The State De-partment of Agriculture has become increasingly involved in the project and has been an active partner in

providing pan designs, training and

technical capacity.

Under the current WWF IWRAP Programme (2013-2016), a total of over 30 pans have been lined. The farmers are taking advantage of the current rains to harness roadside surface water runoff for use during the next dry season. There is on-going discussion with microfinance institutions to finance the lining of more dams as the individuals within the community are eager to have

them on their own farms.

T he advantages linked to

the dams project include:

1) The dams are efficient harvesting sys-

tems as they are deep enough to reduce water loss and maintain lower water temperatures. The lining is suited to ensure that water does not seep into the ground. This ensures consistent water sup-

ply throughout the growing season.

2) The system is linked to efficient water application methods such as drip lines to ensure efficient

water use.

3) Those that can get green-houses are using these to enhance production as well as efficiency. To this end, WWF has linked the com-munity to a bank to assist in financ-

ing greenhouses in the area.

WWF-Kenya has been working with the Chemi Chemi Women's Group to en-hance water security by harnessing rain water harvesting technology. WWF procures the dam lining and provides technical support, while the community provides labour, fencing, and security for the dam. Since the inception of the project in 2013, over 40 surface and rainwater harvesting dams have been built. This has not only improved house-hold food availability, but also incomes. Some of the women have moved on to greenhouses where they grow high income crops such as tomatoes and water melon. In October 2014, WWF-Kenya supported the final tranche of dams, and is now working with the women to acquire assistance from the

formal banking sector.

BELOW:

Photos showing the

progression of a dam-

building project in the

basin that is being

carried out by WWF

and the Chemi Chemi

Women’s Group.

Picture 1: A water pan

that has been freshly

excavated

Picture 2: Installation

of dam liners on the

water pan

1 2

July 11—World Population Day

The tremendous interest generated by the Day of 5 Billion on 11 July 1987 led to the establishment of World Population Day as an annual event. For more than 20 years, 11 July has been an occasion to mark the signifi-

cance of population trends and related issues.

June 17 World Day To Combat Desertification And Drought

The World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed since 1995 to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to

combat desertification and the effects of drought.

September 16—International Day For The Pres-ervation Of The Ozone Layer (World Ozone

Day)

This designation was made on December 19, 1994, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on

Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

2nd Weekend Of May—International Migratory Bird Day

In 2015, International Migratory Bird Day will focus on the importance of habitat to birds, using the beautiful work of artist Amelia Han-sen. Join us in celebrating IMBD by using the materi-als, working in your communities, and restoring habitat

to restore birds!

May 22—International Day For Biological Diversity (World Biodiversity Day)

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 the Inter-national Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase

understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

June 5—World Environment Day

The theme for 2015 is how the well-being of humanity, environment and economies ultimately depends on the on the responsible management of the planet’s resources. Evidence is building that people are consuming far more natural

resources than what the planet can sustainably provide.

June 8—World Oceans Day

Theme: Healthy oceans, healthy planet.

Birds resting on boats in Lake Naivasha

Photo by: Imarisha Naivasha

Imarisha Naivasha,

Mbaria Kaniu Road,

Maryland Complex, 1st Flr,

P.O. Box 2122—20117,

Naivasha, Kenya.

Tel; 020 2030456

IWRAP

Our Partners

Contact Us

Upcoming Events

You can also find us on social media:

Imarisha Naivasha

@Imarisha2015

Imarisha Naivasha

Imarisha Naivasha

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Imarisha Naivasha News - d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.netd2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/.../imarisha_naivasha... · “Imarisha Naivasha, Lake Na-ivasha catchment restoration ... the