The government has launched a partnership to discuss solutions to bridge the gap between the country’s future water demand and supply. This is to put into use the water that is expected in the country with the anticipated Eli-Nino rains expected all over the country.
The Kenya 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) Partnership was launched on Monday 12th of October at a high level round-table that brought together senior members of Kenya’s government, the private sector and the civil society
Speaking during the launch of the partnership at a Nairobi hotel, the chairman of Kenya Water and Sanitation Network, Annabel Waititu said if Kenya maintained “a business-as-usual” approach to managing its water resources, by the year 2030, there will be almost one-third less available water than required to meet the country’s development needs.
“Several areas central to the country’s economy, such as the Athi River Basin, are already feeling the effects of water stress and require urgent action to prevent water from becoming a constraint to sustainable growth,” Waititu noted.
She added that a coordinated and active network of relevant stakeholders is key to ensuring that the water and sanitation needs of all Kenyans are met.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Eugene Wamalwa via a video link said that ensuring a safe and abundant supply of water is vital to attaining Vision 2030, which aims to transform Kenya into an industrialized middle income country by the year 2030.
“This partnership with the private sector and civil society will help generate collective solutions to secure water for the economy, society and environment.” Wamalwa affirmed.
Bidco Africa Chief Executive Officer Vimal Shah, who was also in attendance said right now people are not worried about the El-Nino rains in terms of water storage but people are much concerned with flooding.
He urged the public to conserve water during the expected El-Nino rains.
“If we had dams everywhere, if we had water catchment areas all reserved, we could actually conserve a lot of that water,” he reiterated.
Practical opportunities to be developed through Kenya’s 2030 WRG partnership include; improving agricultural water productivity (“more crop per drop”), strengthening urban and industrial water efficiency and reuse, and creating new financing mechanisms for both water supply expansion and improved demand management.
