Thread by @anj_116_

Kenya's Water Towers (1 year Later)

Welcome to a comprehensive follow up of the State of Kenya's Water Towers study which I carried out a year ago and have been keeping tabs on these 5 major water towers.

This is the link to the first research I carried out. This was a month plus of extensive research and compilation of findings that would help shape the discussions and narratives to help conserve our water towers.

https://twitter.com/anj_116_/status/968376054980243456?s=19

1. Cherangany Hills

Status: Vulnerable.

Last year during the first research I mentioned that if any further degradation happens, it is very possible for adverse climate change effects in places like Eldoret, Kitale and other towns in that radius. Here is why!

Remember the Embobut forest evictions? There was some serious resource based conflicts that almost boiled over between the Sengwer (natives of Embobut) and conservationists. The conflict didn't find an amicable resolution as evictions happened.

This article by Amnesty International spells out why.

amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

Why is there need for a Participatory Approach though to conservation especially of the Cherangany Hills Water Tower? Here is what you need to know. That indigenous communities like the Sengwer are crucial to the maintenance of the Water Tower.They are the guardians of the forest

We have been made to believe that any human interaction with the forest is detrimental to its existence. However, indigenous communities have been at the heart of conservation since time in memorial. It is human induced activities that pose a threat to the Water Towers.

By listing Cherangany as Vulnerable, I mean more effort needs to be taken to conserve this unique ecosystem. Plantation agriculture like Tea stands to suffer if temperatures are increased by even 5 °.

Upstream activities at the Water Tower affect livelihoods downstream. River Nzoia is having extremely reduced water volumes downstream a consequence of human induced degradation of the Water Tower.

And when places like Eldoret begin to display semi arid like characteristics, you realise we are walking a dangerous road. Water shortages are on the rise. Streams drying up. That is a powder keg for conflict.

2. Mount Elgon

Status: Super Vulnerable (Kenyan Side)

Why super vulnerable? Forget the Mau for a second. Do you know what happens in places that cameras rarely reach? Especially when greed, conflict and land problems are rife?

WANTON DESTRUCTION.

The thing with Mount Elgon is that it goes so much under the radar that it has the capacity to implode from within. The settlement schemes around Cheptais and Kapsokwony are one of those good motives that have a resultant negative effects. Here is why.

Every time there is a need for settlement, a part of the forest was excised to pave way for land to settle people. But the population has increased. Infact the populace has bloomed. Land excisions are no longer done. Which means illegal settlement into the forest.

The hope that Mount Elgon rests on is that its a gazetted wildlife protected area. Secondly some of the areas of the forest are quite unexplored. Infact if you see satellite images of the Ugandan side of the forest you will see contrast.

The other slow but detrimental issue is illegal logging. Funny thing is that because of the remoteness of the area, some of the illegal logging activities happens across the borders. What is the risk of Mount Elgon Water Tower Degradation?

Webuye, Kiminini, Kimilili, Tongaren, Bungoma all the way to Busia are at risk of acute fresh water shortages and resource use conflict because of problems upstream. And worse a potential tiff between Kenya and Egypt. How?

Reduced water volumes into Lake Victoria affect the volume of water leaving to the Mediterranean Sea via the Blue Nile. You don't want that Kenya, don't you?

3. The Aberdares

Status: Very Critical

It's at this point that my blood boils in a way. Because, this water tower isn't quite far from the City that I dwell in, but the way the past year has been for this water tower makes it something I have to fight with everything.

Here is why.

1. It affects the Water Supply for Nairobi City and to an extent Naivasha town.
2. Also supports livelihoods of so many people in Central Kenya. The best Potatoes come from Kinangop. You can't mess this Water Tower up. You can't.

3. By affecting water supply, to an extent you affect the livelihoods of so many other people downstream.

While I say Aberdares is critical, there is also a success story of sustainable Forest Conservation and resource use. This could be the only way to preserve Water Towers

Its mainly about centering all conservation processes and approaches on the community that lives around the forest. This is a common thing in the Aberdares where we have Community Forest Associations (CFAs). I won't dwell much on this as this is a status report.

Partners like KFS and other NGOs and INGOs have partnered with communities to conserve the environment while sustain-ably benefiting from the same forest resources. This is the way to go if we are to get more from our environment.

Why did I give status of the Aberdares as Critical? First, it takes time for us to actually see turnaround in the environment. Last year we planted quite a number of trees. We can only know that they have an impact when we care for them until maturity.

Secondly, save for the forest fires that are mainly beyond control once they start, Much of the Aberdares remains largely un-inhabited. It means that by the time we have significant damage that side, it would take a few hundred thousand people.

The challenge with such a scenario is that Aberdares will remain at the mercy of greedy economical mercenaries who want large tracts of land for mechanized agriculture and this will be costly. If you aren't feeling the effects of Water Rationing, I pray you don't.

And so that you know how human induced climate change owing to deforestation, @johnallannamu of @AfUncensored did an investigative piece on Ewaso Ngiro River which I had stated in the first report as the one that ends at Lorian Swamp. Turns out its not that anymore.

Watch this video End of The River.

If you check this documentary you will see how water towers are critical for many communities. Aberdares is critical to the survival of this communities especially, the volatile ones, i.e. The Borana, Samburu, The Somali, The Turkana who all converge at the shrinking Lorian Swamp

4. Mount Kenya

Status: Vulnerable

There is no Water Tower in this country that is protected as Mount Kenya. There is so much at stake when we look at this keenly. I shall bring in a few words from the previous thread that show how important this water tower is.

Here is why I find this water tower really crucial to Kenya's survival...

https://twitter.com/anj_116_/status/968391012556079104

Please be advised that as much as the annual forest fires destroy the vegetation in hundreds of hectares, what is mostly affected is the Moorland part of mountain vegetation. Remember Heath and Moorland in your GHC?

This was a theory that was shared on the @dailynation on 2nd March 2019.

nation.co.ke/news/Wild-beli…

Let's poke some holes into that theory, shall we?

Why is the Moorland so crucial to the survival of the Mount Kenya Ecosystem?

First at an altitude of close to 3300M above sea level, Moorland offer a vegetation belt that supports both wildlife and other plant forms either uphill or downhill.

The Moorland is the cell of any montane vegetation. The moorland is where the all the percolated moisture from the rain, glaciers, bogs and mini streams combine to begin the life of many rivers in the Mount Kenya Water Tower.

Sources say, the moorland is a purifier. The water collected from any stream at the moorland is so clean, so fresh that you don't need to treat it. That is crucial... so crucial that according to @TheStarKenya this is the loss. 24710 Hectares of Moorland.

the-star.co.ke/news/2019/03/0…

Your guess in the theory from @dailynation being out of place is as good as mine. Burning the Moorland leads to more destruction than it attracts more rain. And we are really thankful that the rain came at the right time to help salvage the situation.

5. Mau Forest Complex

Status: Critically Endangered.

I know how dangerous this is. I shall however say without a doubt that human induced degradation, added to the fact that political temperatures between the communities around the Mau have had a serious impact on the forest

I also need us to understand that its called Mau Forest Complex for a reason. Its that vast. It's that huge. It's that critical to the survival of our nation, our counties and our people including the neighbors and all the way up to Egypt. The Mau is life giving...

What has been done so far? Allow me to share a few insights from links I read in the run up to this status. The first one is from @citizentvkenya

citizentv.co.ke/news/the-genes…

I also found this by @NationMediaGrp Pictures telling the story of the Mau. Lets see the shame we have put ourselves in.

nation.co.ke/photo/news/414…

And the finger points at two people! You and I. How? Let me balance you real quick!!

1. What's the number one source of fuel in the region around the Maasai Mau? Answer is Charcoal and firewood. But charcoal mainly. Every moment you buy charcoal around Narok County...

2. Lifestyle Change.

Originally, communities around the Maasai Mau embraced a form of settled Pastoralism. They would go into the forest when its dry, and return when the rains start. Is that happening now? Chances are that it doesn't happen as often as before.

From that lifestyle, the Maasai Mau had the chance to regenerate. However, poor practices like overstocking and overgrazing make it hard for the forest vegetation to even regenerate. Add that to failed rains, people occupied the forest permanently. We all know cattle and forests

The idea that is slowly finishing the Maasai Mau of community ranches. This snapshot from @citizentvkenya article attempts to explain this further. Land subdivisions causes degradation of soil quality and loss of value leading to more encroachment

@citizentvkenya The biggest threat to the Mau is not the people that lived in the forest. The Ogiek have for eons stayed in the forest and even conserved/sustain-ably used the forest to meet their needs. The biggest threat to Mau Forest Conservation is Politics.

@citizentvkenya Let me delve a little into this. For any conservation, the community is at the heart of the process. For the Mau, the community is at the periphery of the process. Who runs the show? Politicians.

@citizentvkenya When Politics is at the center, the people become the pawns of war for the politicians. Politics of incitement seems to be the order and norm. In the midst of all these, unscrupulous loggers and charcoal burners take advantage to enrich themselves with the resource

@citizentvkenya Here is what last year's evictions were like.

1. nation.co.ke/news/New-twist…

@citizentvkenya 2. nation.co.ke/news/politics/…

@citizentvkenya Evictions are emotive. Politicians know this. So what do they do? They find someone to take the blame for Mau Evictions.

3. nation.co.ke/news/politics/…

Already the dry season is doing a number on the Mara. What more damage can happen if we don't arrest and conserve the Mau? Because at this rate we can easily conclude that Mau is critical in it's survival stage