RCE Mount Kenya East - 2022

WATER ABSTRACTION SURVEY REPORT FOR LOWER THANATU RIVER
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
WATER ABSTRACTION SURVEY REPORT FOR LOWER THANATU RIVER
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Mount Kenya
Contributing organization(s) : 
LOWER THANATU WATER USERS ASSOCIATION, Water Resourse Authority, Upper Tana Natural Resource manaagement Project and Water sector Trust
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Nicholas Mwenda
Organizational Affiliation: 
Kenya Methodist University
E-mail: 
nicholas.mwenda@kemu.ac.ke
Format of project: 
manuscript,
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Update
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Local
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Kenya
Location(s): 
Meru
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Kenya Methodist University
Ecosystem(s):
Fresh water
Target Audience:
Community
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
People in this area basically are known for farming of green grams, maize, millets and livestock keeping for their livelihoods. The elite in the region have abstracted water from the rivers near them to subsidize rain water for domestic use and irrigation, a practice that has contributed to degradation, destruction of biodervisty and drying of the rivers. This has also brought conflicts among themselves.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The development challenges in the area being addressing by project include:
1. Conflict for water resourse between community members with intakes downstream
2. Loss of large volume of biodervity downstream due overabstraction of the water upstream
3. Degradation of the riverline ecosystem due cultivation on the banks of the river, erosion and pollution due use of farming chemicals and washing domestic wastes into the river,
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
January, 2018 to December, 2019
Rationale: 
This material information shared through the education practice beacuse the community needed to respond to concflict, loss of biodervisty and degradation challenges collectively for better use of the water. The river contributes to the water volume that is used to generate power further down stream,therefore reduction of the same for rivers in meru County have not only affected livelihoods,but also power production for the country.
Objectives: 
The goal was to educate people in the region on how to manage water resource for all who depend on this river. The community members who participated in the study showed willingness to use the resources sustainablely by use conservation methods and to restore the river lines diginity by planting water friendly trees and barriers like nappiergrass.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
1. Demonstrations
2. Focus Group Forums
3. Water Sample collection collecton analysis
4. cases visits to intakes and showing members the destructions done by over abstraction
Size of academic audience: 
600
Results: 
There is a lot of change in the community because berthing and washing clothes in the river has reduced greatly. People use storage tanks for water and water taps were introduced. Every person with land has planted idigenous and other types of trees numbering 50-500.
Lessons learned: 
The communities within the region can handle their environmental challenges successifull when properly guide. Case of thanatu community the scout the water systems to ensure little or no wasteage.
The community members are very united in their quest to over environmental challenges and mentain water flow at their homes hence alot of river scouting to control irrigal abstractions.
The county and national government can use the grouping to introduce other programs for the community like use of rock water catchments to harvest rain water for people far way from the rivers where pipling is expensive..
Key messages: 
The abstraction study project and findings discussion gave the community members confident on their leadership.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
The project is RCE related to other ESD activities where the water resource is used sustainablely and many other smilar projects are done in other regions.
Funding: 
The project acknowledge:
Meru Water Resourse Authority, Upper Tana Natural Resource manaagement Project and Water sector Trust

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Different water abstraction sites Thanatu Community
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Indirect
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Indirect
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Indirect
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
Yes
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes