KENYA WATER TOWERS AGENCY

Coordinated Environmental Protection

POLICY BRIEFEAST MAU WATER TOWER

Key highlights• LocatedinNakuruandNarokCountiesoccupyingabout160,895haofland• Sourceofwaterfor7riversthatserve4lakesinKenya• UppercatchmentforriversandstreamsthatdrainintolakesthatKenyansdependonforwaterandthelakesforfish,tourismandtradeincludinghydro-electricpowergeneration

• TheMaraRiveriskeyintheworldrenownwildebeestmigration• 49ofKenya’s67Afro-tropicalhighlandtypesofbirdinhabitEastMau• Noclearboundarydemarcationand40%offorestcoverhadbeenlostasat2016duetoforestexcisionandillegalsettlements

• Proposed interventions include survey and demarcation of forest boundary, promotion ofsustainablelandmanagementandstrengtheningofJointEnforcementUnit

Location and size TheEastMauwatertowerislocatedintheGreatRiftValleyregionandisoneofthetwolargestblocksmaking up theMauForestComplex.Thewater towercoversapproximately160,895haoflandoutofwhich67,335haisagazettedforestareaand93,560hathe5kmbufferzone.ThegazettedforestisfoundwithinNakuruCountywhilethebufferzoneextendstoNarokCountyascanbeseeninFigure1.

Climate and hydrologyTherainfallinEastMauwatertowerrangesbetween1000-2000mmperannum.MostoftherainfalloccursduringthelongrainseasoninMarch-April-MayandshortrainsinJuly-August-September.Thetemperaturesrangefrom12-27°CwithJulyasthecoldestmonth.

Figure 1: Location of East Mau Water Tower.

EastMauwatertowerformstheuppercatchmentforthefollowingriversandtheirtributaries;(i) MaraanditstributariesthattraversetheworldrenownMaasaiMaragamereserveanddrains

intoLakeVictoria;(ii) EwasoNyiroSouthanditstributariesthatdrainintoLakeNatron;(iii)Njoro,Enderit,andNaishithatdrainintolakeNakuruandMoloandRongairiversthatdrain

intoLakeBaringo.(iv)MoloandRongairiversthatdrainintoLakeBaringo.

EastMauwater tower has been divided by theWater Resources Authority into fourmain subcatchments namely: Rongai, Njoro, Makalia and Upper Enderit.The sub-catchment areas facethreatssuchasriverbankcultivation,deforestation,waterpollutionandsoilerosionasindicatedinTable1.Eachofthesub-catchmentshasaWaterResourcesUsersAssociation(WRUA)whichhavedevelopedaSubCatchmentManagementPlan(SCMP)toensurethecatchmentsareconservedandprotected.

Table 1: Rivers, Drainage Basins and Hotspots in East Mau

River Drainage basin

Hot Spots Threats

1 Molo L. Baringo Sandai area Water over use and dwindling water flows resulting to water use conflicts

2 Rongai L Baringo Eldama Ravine area Water over use and associated conflicts3 Njoro L. Nakuru Between Egerton and L.

NakuruSolid waste disposal from Njoro Town, over abstraction of water and sand mining

4 Makalia L. Nakuru Between Mau Narok and Makalia Waterfall

Forest destruction in the upper catchments. Farming along the river banks

5 Nderit L. Nakuru Between Mau Narok Centre and L. Nakuru

Forest destruction in the upper catchments and within Mau Narok

6 Naishi L. Nakuru Between Naishi and L. Nakuru

Forest destruction in the upper catchment. Farming along the river banks near Likia

Plant and animal Life TheEastMauWaterTowerisrenownedforitswealthinplantandanimallife.Theplantcoveriscomposedofshrubs,thickbambooforest,andathicknaturalindigenousforest.TheanimalsfoundintheforestincludeAfricanelephants,Africangoldencats,Leopards,Nilemonitorlizards,Africarockpython,Jackson’swidowbirdandCrownedeaglesallofwhichareclassifiedasmostthreatenedspeciesintheInternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)redlist.Over200typesofbutterfliesarealsofoundintheforestandatleast20aredependententirelyontheforest.ThewatertoweralsohasarichdiversityofbirdsandhasbeenaccordedtheImportantBirdAreasstatusbyConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora(CITES).

Land use land coverInthegazettedforest, forestlanddecreasedby40%from54,804hain1990to33,064hain2016whilecroplandincreasedby25%from1106to14,849haoverthesameperiodascanbeseeninFigure2.In2001,35,301haofforestlandinthewatertowerwasexcisedforhumansettlementinElburgon,Kuresoi,Keringet,Kiptagich,NjoroandOlposimoru.Thechangeinlandcoverincreasedcroplandwhichhadadverseeffectsonthewatergeneratingabilityofthewatertower.By2009,overforty(40)watersourceshaddriedupandwaterflowinSonduRiverbecameirregularmakingitimpossibleforSondu-Miriuhydropowerplanttoruninthedryseason.

Figure 2: Land Use Land Cover Trends in East Mau between 1990-2016.

1990

Socio-Economic activities and livelihoodsTheaveragehouseholdsizeisinthebufferzoneofEastMauwas4-9membersandmosthadlivedadjacenttothewatertowerformorethan15years.Thepopulationdensitywithinthebufferzonewas220personsperkm2and79%ofthehouseholdshadformallandownershipdocuments.Themajorsourceoflivelihoodforthecommunitiesinthebufferzonewascropandlivestockproduction.About67%ofthehouseholdsinterviewedexperiencedwildlifeconflictsinvolvingcropdestructionandkillingof livestockmitigatedbyeither scaringawayanimalsor reporting toKenyaWildlifeService.

The main source of livelihood for the communities around the water tower was agriculture and the main socio-economic activities were:

•Wildanimalshuntingformeat• Firewoodharvesting• Honeycollection• Charcoalproduction,• Grazing

• Herbalmedicinecollection• Polewoodcutting• Grassesandvinesharvestingforbasketmakingandthatching

• Bambooharvesting

•Beans• Bananas• Wheat• Maize• Groundnuts

• Sorghumand• Potatoes• Vegetables• Oats• Carrots

Crops grown around the Water Tower included:

Total economic value TheestimatedannualvalueoftheproductsandservicesextractedfromthewatertowerwasKES1.7billionwithfirewoodaccountingforupto70%ofthedirectforestbenefits.TheEastMauforest,withabout3,000haunderpineandcypressplantationscanproduceanestimatedtreevolumeof60,000m3.AtthecurrentpriceofKES2,800perm3,thiswouldgenerateannualrevenueofKES168million.Therefore,theTotalEconomicValuationforEastMauisaboutKES 1.9 billion.

StakeholdersSomeofthestakeholdersthatareactiveinconservationeffortsintheEastMauwatertowerinclude:

Government Nongovernmental

Kenya Water Towers Agency Timsales Limited

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Comply Industries Limited

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Timber Merchants Association

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Crown Foods Limited (Keringet Water)

County Government of Narok Ogiek Peoples Development Programme

County Government of Nakuru Community Forest Associations (CFAs)

Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Water Resource User Associations (WRUAs)

Egerton University World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government

Rhino Ark

Ministry of Lands Green Belt Movement

National Land Commission International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Water Resources Authority Kenya Forest Working Group (KFWG)

Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation Kenya Forest Network (KFN)

Lake Victoria Basin Commission Africa Wildlife Fund

Lake Victoria Environmental Management Program (LVEMP)

• Humansettlementsandcultivation

• Sandharvesting• Illegallogging• Debarking

• Forestandbushfires• Charcoalburning• OverGrazing• Pollutionfromfactoriesaffectingwaterquality

• SoilErosion• Landownershipissues• Plantationtreefarming• Politicalinterference

Threats and challengesThemainthreatsandchallengesfacingtheEastMauwatertowerinclude:

 

Ongoing restoration effortsThefollowingrestorationeffortsaretargetingthecommunitiesaroundthewatertower:

1. Diversification of livelihoodsthroughpromotingalternativeincomegeneratingactivitiessuchastreeplanting,beekeeping,fishfarmingandfruittreeplanting

2. Promotion of alternative sources of energysuchasenergysavingjikostoreducedemandforfuelwoodandcharcoal

3. Establishing a forest guard outpostforbettermonitoringandcontrolofillegalactivities4. Community capacity building toempower thecommunityandequip themwithnecessary

skillsforconservation5. Leasing out land for planting of indigenous seedlingsinsomepartsofMoloblock.Inother

areaslikeSururuandKoibatek,seedlingswereplantedtorehabilitatethelostforestwhilesomeblockssuchasEburuwerefencedtoavoidhumanencroachmentforcharcoalandpoles

6. Land recovery efforts has seen forty-four (44) titles totaling 1,250 ha being surrenderedvoluntarilyasof2015

7. The boundary survey for the Eburu Forest Reservehasbeencompletedandtitledeedissued

 

Proposed solutions Thefollowingoverallactionsshouldbeimplementedtoaddressconcernsinthepriorityareas:

1. Restoration of upper Njoro sub-catchment: Upper Njoro sub-catchment that has beenidentifiedascriticalforforestregenerationandagroforestrydevelopmentshouldberestoredbyenforcingfarmminimumtreecoverof10%urgently.

2. Protection of water recharge and discharge areas:WaterrechargeanddischargeareaswhichincludespringssuchasMajiMotospringsinNessuit,KaplekwainTeret;swampsandriverssuchNjoro,Makalia,ElderitandNaishiwithNjoroshouldbeprotected.

3. Enforcement of relevant land use guidelines:Landuseguidelinesthatrestrictcultivationin steep (33% and above) areas unless the soil is protected against soil erosion should beenforced.Theseareasinclude:Kiptunga,Teret,Siapei,Topoti,KiambogoandNdabibiareas.

4. Forest recovery in areas above 2800 m above sea level:Forestrecoveryshouldbeundertakenin order to preserve the catchment areas at the top of theMauEscarpment.These areasincludeKiptunga,Milimet,Elburgon,Teret,SiapeiandTopotithatareabove2800mabovesealevel.

5. Improve habitat conditions in areas identified as Biodiversity hotspots:TheseareWestofSigotik,NorthofLusiru,WestofLelechwet,WestandNorthEastofTeretSub-locations.

6. Involvement of local communities in a participatory approach in conservation effortsforexampleinwildlife(elephant)migratorycorridor.

7. Planting of Bamboo Belts:ThereisneedtosecurethewatertoweragainstencroachmentbyplantingBamboobeltsalongtheboundaries.Thebeltsarecheaperthanconventionalelectricfence,bothintermsofinitialcapitalinvestmentandoverallmaintenancerequirements.

8. Enforcement of Charcoal Rules: Full rollout and implementation of the Charcoal Rules(2009) including strict enforcement of the provisions that require tree planting to replacethoseharvestedforcharcoalproduction.

For more information, you can contact Director General,Kenya Water Towers Agency

15th Floor, NHIF Building, Ragati RoadP.O.Box 42903-00100, NAIROBI

Tel: 020-2711437Greenline: 0748 222 222Email: info@kwta.go.ke

Website: www.kwta.go.ke @WaterTowersKe

Rivers drying up as a result of destruction in the Water Tower Forest fires is one of the leading form of destruction in East Mau