EU gives Kenya 34.8 mln USD to rehabilitate water towers

The European Union (EU) said Wednesday it has given 34.8 million U.S. dollars towards the rehabilitation of Kenya's degraded two water towers.

The EU Head of Social Affairs and Environment Dr. Hjordis Ogendo said that the program is to help improve the quality and quantity of ecosystem services provided by the water towers.

"The assistance is aimed at improving the quality and quantity of ecosystem services provided by Mount Elgon and Cherengani Hills water towers through increased forest cover, improved landscape and natural resource management," Ogendo said in Nairobi.

Kenya's environment, water and natural resources sector is confronted with challenges that include destruction of water catchment areas, increased conflicts in natural resource utilization, low sewerage coverage, pollution, poor waste management and water scarcity.

In the recent past, deforestation in the country has reduced forest coverage from 12 percent in the 1960s to the current 6.9 percent.

The degradation has affected the ability of Kenya forest ecosystems to provide critical ecosystem services and instead has made loses to the economy amounting to 60,000 dollars per year.

According to Ogendo, the assistance is expected to lead to increased benefits to rural communities from forest, agriculture and agro-forestry land use systems and also enhance resilience to climate change of the water sources.

She said that the amount will be divided between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya Water Tower Agency (KWTA), Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the 11 county governments.

The project Lead Scientist Dr. Paul Ongugo said that fruit trees and bamboo has been identified to be planted in regions surrounding the two water towers.

He said that there are plans to establish forest parks in the 11 counties to help people see the value of trees.

An Assistant Director of KFS Erik Nahama observed that of the 3.7 percent of forest cover, out of the 6.99 percent in the country is from communal and private farms.

"We are pushing for the review of school curriculum in the country to incorporate tree planting as a way of popularizing environmental conservation," he added.

Mt Elgon and Cherangany Hills in western Kenya have received relatively less attention, yet they are critical to livelihoods in western and northern Kenya. The project will run for a period of six years with effect from September. Endit