Mar 15, 2017 - Historical Overview of Irrigation & Drainage in Kenya ... Flooding in Nairobi South C .... Laws and Legislations with bearing on Irrigation,.
Opportunities for Enhancing Water Storage, Irrigation, Drainage & Land Reclamation Development Presentation by:
Prof. Eng. Bancy M. Mati PhD Director, Water Research and Resource Center (WARREC) Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Presentation at the:
Kenya Water Week 2016 Irrigation sub sector SESSIONS Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) 25th November 2016
CONTENTS 1. Historical overview of Irrigation & Drainage development in Kenya 2. Challenged affecting the development of; water
storage, irrigation, drainage and land reclamation 3. Opportunities for Water Storage, Irrigation, Drainage & Land Reclamation 4. Entry points for Water storage, Irrigation, Drainage and Land Reclamation 5. Way Forward Prof. B.Mati
1. A historical background on Irrigation, Drainage and Land Reclamation development
Historical Overview of Irrigation & Drainage in Kenya 16th century – Evidence of of irrigation in Tana River, Kerio valley’s Marakwet escarpment, West Pokot and Baringo 19th century - Rice schemes were constructed by slaves along the river valleys around Kipini, Malindi, Shimoni and Vanga 19th century (1890s), - Asian workers started irrigation around Makindu and Kibwezi 1930s - Drainage works started in Central Kenya, around karatina 1940s – Irrigation started around Karatina, Naivasha, Tavetta, and shores of Lake Victoria using PoW 1950s- African Land Development Unit (ALDEV) initiated state-owned irrigation schemes, i.e. Mwea, Hola, Perkerra, Ishiara and Yatta using Mau Mau detainees 1963- Kenya had developed a total of 2,500 ha of irrigation
Prof. B.Mati
Historical background of irrigation in Kenya contd.. 1965 – Irrigation Act (cap 347) was enacted & creation of NIB 1965 – 1980: Govt expanded the existing schemes and developed new ones in the Lower Tana, Yala, Kano and Bunyala areas 1978-83 Development Plan shifted the emphasis from public irrigation schemes to small-scale farmer-managed irrigation 1985 - there were around 52,000 ha equipped for irrigation 1990s - Export of horticulture became a major export 2003 – Irrigation Department was shifted to Ministry of Water 2007 – Vision 2030 brought more visibility to water storage an irrigation 2013 –Irrigation Department moved to Ministry of Agriculture 2015 – Irrigation Department returned to MWI
Prof. B.Mati
2. Challenges Facing Irrigation, Drainage, Waters Storage & Land Reclamation
Challenges facing irrigation development • Shrinking land space for crop and livestock production • Frequent drought leading to rapid depletion of some of the water resources, with a devastating impact on rainfed agriculture • Water scarcity, scattered ephemeral surface water resources • Poorly developed groundwater (only 5% of groundwater in Kenya is mapped) • Conflicts over water resources, particularly in the ASAL areas, • Inefficient irrigation technologies (70% is surface irrigation) • About 24 million ha of saline & sodic soils, of which 40% are in ASALs. • Expensive costs of capital/credit (interest rates are too high) • Weak farmer organizations, including water user associations • Poor post-harvest handling, storage and processing facilities • Poorly organized markets, marketing infrastructure and low prices • Poor road infrastructure to potentially irrigable ASAL areas, limiting both operational and input/output market access. Prof. B.Mati -
Kenya is NOT a Water Scarce Country • Kenya is NOT Water Scarce – It is failure to use Research & STI • The water resources are poorly distributed and mostly unmapped (e.g. groundwater, ephemeral streams areas are un-gauged). • Per capita water availability = (Total
fresh water/total population) -It was 647 m3 in 2000, dropped to 502 m3 in 2012 and will be 235 m3 by 2025.
• But per capita storage is 102 m3/year (NWMP-2030) - compare with 4,729 m3
Australia
for
• Mt. Kenya had 18 glaciers in 1900 but now it has only 7. • Serious droughts since 1970s and effects of climate change Prof. B. Mati
Per Capita Water Availability in Kenya (1969-2010)
Source: Ministry of Water and Irrigation
Kenya is getting warmer: Climate Change is here! Sure can • Within Kenya, climate change is already being experienced, • Mean annual temperatures have risen by 1°C over the past 50 years • A rise in temperature of 1.0-2.5oC is expected by 2030 • Many areas in Kenya have longer dry spells and heavier storms • From 7 droughts in 1980-1990 increased to 10 droughts (19912003) • Between 200-2006, there were 60 weather related disasters • Since the 1970s, serious droughts have occurred e.g. in 1972, 1974/75, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983/84, 1991/92, 1995/96, 1999/2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010/2011 (drought every 2 years)
Floods could be converted into an opportunity
Bundalangi floods– NIB offices submerged in 2011
• Flooding occurs in the same areas prone to droughts • Flood occurrence is expected yet nothing is done as mitigation. • Loss of life and property each year • Flood management with innovative engineering infrastructure & catchment protection • Flood control – an intervention for reduction of pollution – its do-able
Flush floods in Narok town (30th April 2015)
Flooding in Nairobi South C
Urban Stormwater = Wastewater in Kenya (wasted!) • Rising urbanization in Kenya • Water demand is increasing at a higher rate. • Built up areas contributing more storm-water • Most storm-water is polluted with wastewater • The scant data on stormwater generation, use • Most storm-water is mixed with Sewerage (goes to Ruai)
Prof. B.Mati
Infrastructure failures = Design failures = STI gaps
Examples • Breach of embankments • Dams/pans silt too soon • Pollution of water storages • Dry boreholes • Seepage problems • Water deficits/inadequate design
Declining water availability/ increasing demand
Climate change, floods and droughts
Smallholder agriculture in transition
Inefficient technologies and practices
Issues to tackle in addressing irrigation, drainage & water storage
Extension services for irrigation & drainage
Policy enforcement disconnect
Declining soil health and pollution of water resources
Capacity of sector across the value chain
Poor linkages with markets
Costs of Irrigation Equipment are High Irrigation Equipment
Cost (USD/ha) in 2014
Centre Pivot (for 40 ha span)
2,500 – 3,000
Pressure compensated drip line irrigation (Hydrophonics)
7,750
Solar pump
2,000 – 10,000 USD112/m where water table is at 150 USD168/m where water table is at 200
Drilling a borehole Drilling a borehole
Source: FAO, 2015, Kenya Irrigation Market brief
Kenya imports of most irrigation equipment • Kenya’s imports of irrigation material have been growing in the last years, reaching USD 74 million in 2011 • The dominant equipment categories are gate valves centre pivots, centrifugal pumps. Commercial farms account for most of the centre pivot imports • Kenya also exports equipment produced in the country, such as HDPE, PVE, and PPE pipes
3. Opportunities in Irrigation, Drainage, Waters Storage & Land Reclamation Development
Kenya’s Water Resources Endowments • Kenya has 42.1 billion cu.m of renewable surface water resources, • Average annual runoff is 26.7 billion cu.m • 21.5 billion cu.m of safe ground water (54% is in shared basins) • Average annual rainfall: 679 mm/yr • High rainfall variability ranging from 250 mm/year in Garissa to over 2,000 mm on Mt. Kenya • Water demand is 3.2 billion cu.m . • Only about 30% of the population have piped water (2009)
Opportunities for upscaling Irrigation, Drainage & water storage • Availability of irrigable areas endowed with adequate infrastructure, and proximity to input and output markets • Domestic and regional market deficits in many food products • Less than 50 percent of irrigation potential currently developed • Availability of local agricultural lending banks, cooperatives, and micro-credit institution • Good experience in high-value irrigated agriculture by the existing private commercial-farms • Favorable climatic conditions, with a potential for high-tech efficient irrigation, when water is available • The horticulture industry is driven by irrigation and is the most dynamic export earner in Kenya
Develop the Untapped Irrigation Potential • Total area under agriculture in Kenya - 2.9 million ha, • But only 141,900 ha are irrigated (4% of total) cultivated land and about 17% of the irrigation potential. • Irrigated agriculture contributes about 3% of the GDP and 18% of the value of all agricultural produce, • This demonstrates the huge potential in irrigated agriculture for increasing agricultural production and productivity. • Irrigated agriculture is carried out mainly in irrigation schemes for high value crops such as rice, coffee, horticulture
Prof. B.Mati -
Water storage is needed to meet Irrigation Targets under Vision 2030 • The potential for irrigation in Kenya is 539,500 ha with surface flows (but another 9.2 million ha can be irrigated using water storage). This underpins the huge potential for water storage • Kenya Vision 2030 has set a national goal of increasing the new irrigation area to 1.2 million ha in 2030 and 1.3 million ha in 2050 • This means an average of 40,000 ha/year (expansion of 32,000 ha and rehabilitation of 8,000 ha/yr) • The annual total irrigation water demand for future irrigation area of 765,575 ha in 2030 was estimated at 8,063 MCM/year, • Overall average unit water demand of 94,949 m3/ha/year, (NWMP-2030)
Prof. B.Mati
Future Irrigation Water Demands in 2030 Type of Irrigation
LVNCA
New Irrigation Area - Weir - Large Dam Groundwater Irrigation – Borehole Water Harvesting Irrigation - Small Dam/Water Pan Sub-total Existing Irrigation Area Total
LVSCA
RVCA
ACA
TCA
ENNCA
Total
749 535
183 732
110 1,101
40 311
37 1,767
31 302
1,150 4,748
27
51
16
35
151
107
395
30
37
23
33
46
7
176
1,341 18 1,359
1,003 155 1,158
1,250 143 1,393
419 498 917
2,001 696 2,697
447 92 539
6,461 1,602 8,063
Source: National Water Master Plan-2030
Projected evolution of irrigation capacity by 2030
Source: National Water Master Plan-2030
Prof. B.Mati
4. Entry points for Water storage, Irrigation, Drainage and Land Reclamation
Improving water storage by constructing dams
Dams are needed to store water for: • Urban and rural water supplies • Irrigation • Generation of electricity • Strategic water reserves • Drought mitigation • Flood control
Water Harvesting with storage in tanks, cisterns, ponds
Household water harvesting with surface tank
A lined underground tank with silt trap & net covering
Runoff harvesting with plastic-lined pan
Unlined pond for road-runoff harvesting
Reducing losses in water conveyance infrastructure
Conversion from canals to piped water systems Lined canals to reduce seepage losses 27
Improving Efficiency of Irrigation Water Application
Surface irrigation can be made more efficient
Drip irrigation t is 60 times more efficient than surface irrigation
• Even surface irrigation can be improved to be more efficient • Shift from surface methods to sprinkler and to drip irrigation • Greenhouse farming saves most water • Control of water losses e.g. By using piped or lined canal systems • Hydrophonics and aerophonics –
High value crop with innovative drip irrigation
Use irrigation methods with high efficiencies
Centre Pivot Irrigation – going large scale
Micro-sprinkler irrigation- scope for Kenya
How much water is used in irrigating crops
Greenhouse farming, Kenya – very efficient on water use
Innovative Technologies e.g. System of Rice Intensifications (SRI)
Conventional fully flooded paddy
Women weeding conventional rice paddy
SRI wetting & drying paddy field
Weeding SRI paddy with rotary weeder
Under SRI, Rice Yields have Increased, water saved Key findings – based on farmer s’ data from Mwea, Kenya
Conventional paddy 1. Basmati yields : 4 – 5 t/ha (Mwea) 2. BW rice yields : 7 - 10 t/ha 3. A bag of paddy weighs 80-90 kg 4. Water to grow 1 kg of rice: 3,0005,000 litres 5. Grain easily breaks during milling 6. Flooded paddies suffer lodging from windy storms 7. Weeding flooded paddies is done by women 8.15-Mar-17 Lower return on investment
SRI Rice 1. Basmati yields : 7 – 10 t/ha 2. BW rice yields: 11 - 20 t/ha 3. Bag of paddy weighs 100-110 kg 4. Harder, not easily broken on milling 5. Uses 25-33% less water 6. SRI has strong stems that resist damage from windy storms 7. Wedding can be by men or women 8. Higher returns (30-50% increase in net income) 1. 31
Urban Stormwater harvesting could provide water for irrigation
Example of missed opportunity for Nairobi Total area
684 km2
Population Population living in informal settlements population with safe adequate water Water demand Water supply
3.6m (in 2009)
Water deficit
40% 65% 690,000 m3/day 525,000 m3/day 165,000 m3/day
Non-revenue water losses Mean Annual rainfall Potential for RWH (assuming 30% capture)
40% 1,062 mm
Current RWH
Very low
596,485 m3/day
Thus, Nairobi could meet 86% of its water demand from RWH, if 30% of rainfall were harnessed! (Calculations by B. Mati)
Watershed Protection activities for sustainability of water sources • Conservation of existing forest cover • Tree planting on catchment areas • Road runoff harvesting • Agroforestry • Terracing sloping lands • Vegetative buffers • Irrigation and drainage
Photo by B. Mati
LAND RECLAMATION • Land reclamation is the process of creating new land from ocean, riverbeds, or lake beds, wetlands • Land reclamation is also the process of restoring damaged and/or scarified land e.g. quarries, mines, through drainage or irrigation. It also refers to the restoration of land that is damaged by natural phenomena, such as erosion, or impaired by industrial and urban processes. • The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or land fill. It affects small areas, but can have damaging effects • Areas in Kenya where land reclamation has occurred include: Haller Park in Mombasa, and the old Clay Works in Nairobi
Prof. B.Mati
5. Policy and institutional reforms needed to upscale Water storage, Irrigation, Drainage and Land Reclamation development
Interaction of laws, policies & institutions
Complexity of existing polices & institutional arrangements
Laws and Legislations with bearing on Irrigation, water storage & land reclamation Kenya has instituted a number of legal instruments; laws, statutes, policies, regulations, and strategies to safeguard her natural resources. Some of the main ones include among others: • • • • • • • • • • •
The Constitution of Kenya,2010; The Forest 2012; The Water Act, 2016 (but it does not mention irrigation) The Water Resources Management Rules, 2007, Legal Notice No.171; Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority Act (AFFA) - No. 13 of 2013: The Government Lands Act (Cap280), 1970, Revised 1984; The Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA No.8 of 1999); The Irrigation Act (cap 347) of 1965 The Registered Land Act (Cap 300). The Lakes and Rivers Act (Cap 409), 1962, Revised 1983; and The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research (KALRO) Act No. 17 of 2013
Policies and Strategies • Kenya Vision 2030 • National Environment Policy, 2013 • National Climate Change Response Strategy, 2010 • National Land Policy (2009) • National Agricultural Sector Extension Policy, 2012 • Flood Mitigation Strategy, 2009 • The National Water Services Strategy (2007- 2015) • Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan • National Climate Change Response Strategy, 2010 • National Policy for Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands • Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS).
See full list
WAY FORWARD
Way Forward • Ensuring sustainability of infrastructure/projects • Engineering designs that adhere to best practice • Work with qualified professionals • Community participation and use of local knowledge • Use of simple (not cheap) technologies • Engage policy level support • Private sector involvement • Poverty targeting for impact • Adopting IWRM in development of water & land resources
Way Forward –There is work to do • The Water Act 2016 is now law - but it does not mention Irrigation nor land reclamation (review it!) • Devolution of agriculture to the Counties – means that irrigation and drainage is a county function - support counties • Taking advantage of the policy push by Vision 2030 which has given irrigation good visibility • New projects on water e.g. Kalalu-Galana Irrigation scheme, Tana Grand Falls dam, construction of water pans can support development of the subsector • Many universities now offer advanced degrees in the areas of water resources management, irrigation, thus capacity is growing.
THANK YOU
For more information, contact http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/departments/warrec
