Imarisha Naivasha News -...
Transcript of Imarisha Naivasha News -...
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
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
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
P A G E 5 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
“ 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
P A G E 7 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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.
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
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
P A G E 9 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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.
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
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
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
P A G E 1 3 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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
I M A R I S H A N A I V A S H A N E W S
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
P A G E 1 5 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H 2 0 1 5
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