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.



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/SanitationLocation: Kisumu Polytechnic Innovator: Joseph KamasiaExisting partnership: Kisumu Polytechnic; NACOSTI

Bicycle Water PumpCategories: Water provision from shallow wells for domestic use and irrigationLocation: Kisumu PolytechnicInnovator: Alex Odundo Existing partnerships: NACOSTI; Kisumu Polytechnic


Water Defluoridation

Category: Water quality managementCounty: NakuruInnovator: Catholic Diocese of Nakuru (CDN)Existing partnership: Catholic Church of Kenya


Utilization of water hyacinth in paper production

Category: Water quality and sanitationLocation: Takawiri Initiative Innovator: Otieno Michael


Rain Water Harvesting (runoff)

Category: Irrigation, Water conservation and optimum utilizationLocation: Lare, Nakuru County Innovator: Benard MainaExisting partnership: Egerton University, KARI – Njoro


Native Tree planting



THANKS - Asante