Harriet Lamb, WRAP CEO, is given a tour by the team behind the Water Roadmap project in Kenya

Our Water Roadmap projects in Kenya

Protecting critical water resources

Location

Our Courtauld 2030 Water Roadmap project in Kenya, led by WWF Kenya, has an initial focus on the Lake Naivasha basin (LNB) and is expanding into the Athi Basin and Upper Ewaso Nyiro.

Overall project aim

Our overall goal has been to support improved basin management by providing better data on the condition of rivers in the basin and the key pressures to local water management organisations, as well as building compliance with the abstractors and dischargers in the region.

The issues

The catchment supports a diverse ecosystem of native species, but this is being put at risk by pollution from agriculture and industrial activities (e.g. agro-chemicals). The lake and surrounding catchments support a flourishing business in horticulture and floriculture which earns a significant amount in exports, as well as providing a popular tourist destination, so any environmental degradation could lead to loss of income and jobs.

What are we doing?

Establishing a Naivasha Rivers Health Assessment (RHA) framework for the Lake Naivasha basin, to data on the health of freshwater ecosystems in the basin.
Carrying out river health assessments via local Water Users Associations, using tools and equipment provided by the project.
So far 9 out of 12 sub catchment teams have trialled the River Health Assessment (RHA) toolkits.
Providing data from the assessments to local water management organisations, to inform better management and early warning of potential problems.
Undertaking baseline assessment and mapping of compliance with water quality discharge requirements.
Helping businesses in the basin adhere to existing legislation & develop pollution control plans. Site visits from the Water Resources Authority and compliance officers has supported 36/62 businesses to complete required effluent discharge management plan.
Establishing an inventory of basin-wide water abstractions for the Lake Naivasha Basin by sector and location.
Compiling & promoting examples of best practice on agricultural wastewater treatment.
Convening stakeholders to agree a common understanding of the water quality and water quantity pressures on the LNB.

The following video was produced as an output of stage 1 of the project, which was completed by Tesco and WWF. The next phase of the project builds on this:

What are our future plans?

Widening the financial support base for the project.
Expanding the geographical scope of the project to include catchments within the Athi Basin and Upper Ewaso Nyiro.
Further work in Kenya will be dependent on securing sufficient support from food & drink businesses sourcing from the identified areas.