Mara River Basin-Wide Water Allocation Plan
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EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY LAKE VICTORIA BASIN COMMISSION SECRETARIAT MARA RIVER BASIN-WIDE WATER ALLOCATION PLAN Lake Victoria Basin Commission Re- Insurance Plaza, 6th Floor P.O. Box 1510-40100, Kisumu, KENYA Tel: +254-57-2026344; Fax: +254-57-2026324 E-mail: [email protected] March 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mara River Basin (MRB) is an important hydrologic system that not only serves the bordering countries of Kenya and Tanzania, but also exists as a valuable input to Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest freshwater lake which forms the headwaters of the Nile River. Growing water demands and unsustainable use of natural resources within the Mara River Basin (MRB) is placing an increasing strain on the water resources and threatening the livelihood of the many populations that rely on the Mara River as their sole source of water. Water quantity is a major concern within the Mara River Basin (MRB), especially during the dry season when the threat of drought is high. Water of a desired quality is often scarce, and has to be carefully allocated to different uses among them human consumption, sanitation, food production, industrial use, energy production among others. The allocation process has to be carried out in a manner that achieves economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability. As such, the prevailing system of uncoordinated water resources management in the Mara River basin (MRB) cannot sustain the ever-increasing water needs of the various expanding water use sectors. An all inclusive water allocation plan (WAP) therefore makes trade-offs between the priorities of various stakeholders, economic returns and profitability, reliability of water supply, equity, and ecosystem sustainability. The main purpose of this Mara River Basin-wide Water Allocation Plan (MRB-WAP) is to match or balance the demand for Mara River water with its availability, through an efficient water allocation arrangements involving a large number of conflicting water uses including; human/domestic, hydropower generation, livestock, irrigation, wildlife, tourism, mining and the environment (e.g. instream flow requirements) without forgetting the proper management of the catchment and ecosystem integrity. This necessitates a strategy that can be used to integrate the various sectoral needs against the available water resources in order to attain both economic and ecological sustainability. Current indications are that the Mara River is highly vulnerable as it is reported to have during some drought period attained dangerously low levels triggering massive deaths of the bigger animals such as hippos. The long term sustainability of the Mara River and indeed many other rivers feeding the Lake Victoria are at a risk of completely drying up. This would threaten the lives of communities, wildlife, livestock as well as aquatic life, and also interfere with economic activities on which the basin inhabitants rely. This Mara River Basin-wide Water Allocation Plan (MRB-WAP) covered the entire Mara River Basin, both Kenya and Tanzania, including the feeder streams and tributaries that drain into the Mara River. The plan took into consideration the Mara River flow assessments, including amount of water and its quality in relation to the existing water demands within the Basin. Reserve flows as calculated by Environmental Flow Assessment studies conducted in Mara River Basin (MRB) were reviewed as were the existing procedures on water allocation in Kenya and Tanzania. The plan also forecasted on future demand of water uses from Mara River, while the technologies applied in water allocations, particularly to water abstraction; and legislations in Mara River were reviewed and explained and identification and quantification of gaps between the river flow, reserve flow and water demand was done. Scenario development for demand analysis was based on Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Model. The Water Evaluation and Planning Model (WEAP) is a powerful but easy-to-use computer based tool for water management, planning and allocation, integrating information on water supply and demand. In this study it has been used for developing and testing options for matching water supply and ii demand, and assessing the level of water sufficiency or un-met demand. The total human population on the Kenyan side of the Mara River as at 2009 was 564,266 majority (44.96%) of whom lived in Bomet District, while that on the Tanzanian side of the Mara River Basin as at 2002 was 231,614 and estimated to be about 275,316 by 2009. Using WEAP, different scenarios were built up based on data on water availability (in terms of surface water flows) and water demands for power, irrigation, domestic use including hotels, livestock, wildlife and mining. Plausible assumptions about future trends were made based on existing development plans and policies, discussions with key parties and stakeholders were used to predict the basin’s future water water conditions. During this study, it was noted that hydrological information including ground water yields, soil erosion, sediment transport, and water management practices was limited. Further studies will be needed to provide more precise data for river flows as well as environmental flows, water demand, water extraction, and permiting for review of the MRB-WAP in the future. The WEAP scenarios and water balance analysis in this MRB-WAP will provide a starting point for dialogue with interested parties about the various options for water resources allocation. Beyond this, determination of the unit costs of providing additional water may provide a basis for water charges and permits. The relevant ministries in both Kenya and Tanzania have expressed the need for this kind of information under their water reforms that value water as an economic good by the introduction of user water charges and permits, and decentralization of water resources management to the catchment level. The Catchment Management Strategies should also recognize the eco-hydrological, hydro-economic and socio-cultural information generated for different water management scenarios and embrace appropriate measures for informed and improved basin-wide water allocation. The specific objectives of this MRB-WAP includes: to preserve the proportions of annual discharge from the Mara River and its tributaries’ catchments including feeder springs and streams to maintain base flow in the Mara River and its tributaries. During drought years to maintain the drought reserve flow, and during normal or wet years to maintain the normal reserve flow as indicated and detailed in the program logic and scenarios in this report; and to protect ecosystem integrity and water quality within MRB watershed. Also, to protect water sources and the main Mara River and its tributaries against degradation through extraction, damning, or bore constructions, and unlicenced abstraction practices to be monitored and corrective measures taken. In all years except very dry years, MRB rural folk and domestic use to have access to sufficient water, plus additional amount should there be growth in lawful exercise of water rights. Bomet and Mulot towns, and other towns in the MRB, Tenwek hydropower dam and dependent services (hospital, etc), farm, livestock, wildlife, hotels and resorts, and mining activities, to have access to sufficient water; and to protect water quality within MRB and the integrity of the catchments including Mau forest against destruction and anthropogenic influences. At the 5 year review of MRB-WAP, or sooner if practicable, the aim should be to monitor current and projected water demands as per various scenarios in this report; to have sufficient water available from the consumptive pool to satisfy identified requirements; all water users permitted, bring existing users to compliance, and permits renewed/amended, metering of major uses done; environmental settings in MRB reviewed, original sites and present sites evaluated and new sites set up; water use and abstraction surveys carried out, and systems put in place to collect adequate hydrological data, including underground water distribution, levels, and other relevant information. iii At the 5 year review, or sooner if practicable, the two countries of Kenya and Tanzania should aim to harmonize and enforce policies and legal requirements for supporting full implementation of MRB-WAP, including identification of existing gaps. The two countries and institutional bodies and stakeholders should set up new laws, revised laws, subsidiary legislation and by laws, where required, and ensure full enforcement, compliance, and roles of different parties established; continue partnership with WUAs and WRUAs, research organizations and other institutions to improve knowledge of ecosystem water requirements; undertake consultation and research to improve understanding of indigenous water issues and options to address them. The strategy is to involve all the stakeholders and donor communities and other regional institutions to fund the studies and surveys. Funds collected from water users can also be used. Also, funds from Payment of Ecosystem Services (PES), if frameworks can be set-up, can also be used; to have the two governments and their relevant institutions involved in the management of the MRB water resources in a manner agreed upon and acceptable by both countries. iv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BSAP Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan CAAC Catchment Area Advisory Committee CBO Community Based Organization CBS Central Bureau of