Located in the western part of Kenya, the Nyando River flows from the Rift Valley highlands, supplying irrigation water to vast rice fields along the way before emptying into Lake Victoria.

At right, Walter Adongo from the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) contributes to discussions. On the left is Pamella Were from the Moi University.

Severe problems of environmental degradation and poverty can be found throughout the Nyando basin. Soil erosion causes heavy sedimentation in the river, as yawning gulleys eat up farms and separate villages. Flooding destroys homes and farmland whenever it rains, rendering thousands of people destitute. Meanwhile, intense agricultural activity is causing excessive flow of nutrients into the Nyando River, and subsequently, into Lake Victoria.

Dialogue on solving environmental problems across the Nyando basin has been made difficult in recent years by ethnic tension between the inhabitants of the highlands and those of the lowlands.

PRESA sees payments and rewards for environmental services (PES) as a viable means of addressing environmental degradation at the Nyando River basin. However, the Nyando basin is unique in that, while the prospective sellers of environmental services are identified as the local communities, the buyers are not easy to distinguish.
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PRESA and its partners at the Sasumua site will discuss the results of a scientific study that explores the negative impacts of water pollution and sedimentation, and land degradation, on Nairobi’s second largest source of fresh water.

John Mwangi (left) from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with Thomas Yatich of ICRAF (right) during water sampling at Sasumua, October 17, 2008.

A stakeholder workshop on February 26^th, will give farmer associations and private land owners the results of hydrology studies conducted in 2008. Government officials will also be invited to the workshop at the Njabini Farmers Training Centre, located a short distance from the Sasumua reservoir.

PRESA scientist, Thomas Yatich, says that the workshop intends to synthesize key messages for environmental education raised from each of the study components.

“We will also obtain a review of our work by the different stakeholders invited to attend the workshop,” adds Yatich.
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