- Title: Kenyan farmers rehabilitate river banks to conserve water.
- Date: 30th May 2017
- Summary: TRANS-NZOIA, KENYA (RECENT) (REUTERS) FARMERS PLANTING TREES VARIOUS OF FARMERS MEASURING RIPARIAN LAND VARIOUS OF CHAIRMAN, MACHINJONI WETLANDS WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION KEBA MBALWA, PLANTING TREE VARIOUS OF LOW WATER LEVEL RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) CHAIRMAN, MACHINJONI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION, KEBA MBALWA, SAYING: "In the past this river had lots of water, you would not have been able to cross it without being swept away by the waters or even drowning in the process, but now it can't even carry away a chicken because the water level is very low. Today, and it is not just today, we have been educating people here from time to time to plant trees but they have not been doing well so today we have gathered again as a community. We have agreed that we will try once again to plant trees in this riparian wetland, right from the river all the way downstream." (SOUNDBITE) (English) FARMER, JOEL LUMBASIO, SAYING: "I didn't know about the riparian land around the river because people are cultivating up to the riverbanks. So, I have decided to give out some amount of land for the planting of trees to take care of the river banks so that we can raise the level so that we can benefit both people with livestock and even us as farmers who plant and depend on this river for irrigation." VARIOUS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN PLANTING TREES CULTIVATED LAND FARMER TENDING TO CROPS VARIOUS OF PIGS VARIOUS OF GARBAGE DUMPED NEAR RIVER HOME NEAR RIVER VARIOUS OF MBALWA AND FARMER, NEXSON NAIBEI WALKING TOWARDS RIVER WATER SPRING VARIOUS OF NAIBEI CUTTING BANANA LEAVES VARIOUS OF BEE HIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) FARMER, NEXSON NAIBEI, SAYING: "I sell one kilo for about 3 dollars it helps me pay school fees and groceries that we need. The bananas have also helped. The bees get their nectar there and we also harvest bananas for our food and for sale, so it has been a great benefit." RECLAIMED RIPARIAN LAND VARIOUS OF CABBAGE CROP IN FARM
- Embargoed: 13th June 2017 12:17
- Keywords: Farmers Conservation Climate Change Springs Water ways River Land reclamation
- Location: TRANS-NZOIA, KENYA
- City: TRANS-NZOIA, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA0016J15B2V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: These farmers in Trans-Nzoia, western Kenya have noticed dramatic changes in local climate over the years and are trying to reverse the damage by increasing water volume in springs and rivers nearby.
Under the Machinjoni Water Resource Users Association (WRUA) farmers in the county are being encouraged to conserve riparian land - the areas around water ways, because rivers and natural springs are drying up.
When farmers cultivate crops too near rivers they cause soil erosion that will eventually block the river with sediment and alter its course.
The farmers are now planting trees that do not need a lot of water to grow, along river banks.
Leaving at least four meters of land on both sides of a rivers uncultivated, or growing these trees could help raise water levels over time.
"In the past this river had lots of water, you would not have been able to cross it without being swept away by the waters or even drowning in the process, but now it can't even carry away a chicken because the water level is very low. Today, and it is not just today, we have been educating people here from time to time to plant trees but they have not been doing well so today we have gathered again as a community. We have agreed that we will try once again to plant trees in this riparian wetland, right from the river all the way downstream," said Chairman of the Machinjoni Water Resource Users Association, Keba Mbalwa.
"I didn't know about the riparian land around the river because people are cultivating up to the riverbanks. So, I have decided to give out some amount of land for the planting of trees to take care of the river banks so that we can raise the level so that we can benefit both people with livestock and even us as farmers who plant and depend on this river for irrigation," said Joel Lumbasio, a farmer.
The project also targets students so that they too can pass on what they learn to families back home. The tree seedlings are donated by the county government.
Land degradation is a major problem in the country and remains a threat to its agriculture dependent economy.
Farmers in the country often depend on ground water and rivers to grow food crops like maize and beans but much of the water is being utilized faster than it can be naturally replenished.
Farmers across the country are increasingly faced with water scarcity. Some 2.7 million people across half of Kenya's 47 counties have been affected by an ongoing drought, which the government recently declared a national disaster.
Although Kenyan law demands that riparian landowners conserve waterways, the legislation is not well regulated, leaving people less resilient to climate change.
Pollution of rivers by chemicals like fertilizer from farms and garbage also threatens the natural resource and is a health hazard to residents.
The destruction of forests also appears to be behind falling water levels in rivers and lakes. The country's 2010 constitution is already pushing to increase forest cover from 6.9 percent to 10 percent by encouraging people to grow more trees.
Farmers like Nexson Naibei have adopted techniques to keep the land near the river well-watered and healthy while still benefiting from it. He keeps bees in trees planted along the waterway from which he harvests about 40 kilos of honey every three months.
"I sell one kilo for about 3 dollars it helps me pay school fees and groceries that we need. The bananas have also helped. The bees get their nectar there and we also harvest bananas for our food and for sale, so it has been a great benefit," he said.
About 3 million trees have already been planted by farmers here so far, helping rehabilitate river banks and reduce pressure on water sources. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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