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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Agricultural and industrial activities are polluting Lake Victoria with vast amounts of soil and chemicals. Since fishing is a major business in the lake, interventions that mitigate soil erosion and pollution in river basins are necessary to secure the future of the fishing industry and thus, the livelihoods of millions of people.

A deep gulley caused by erosion in the Nyando basin, Kenya.

The PRESA project is focusing on the Nyando and Yala river basins whose catchments are the cause of the problems mentioned above.

By using reward or transfer schemes for environmental services, PRESA partners intend to connect groups that depend on the lake with groups whose activities influence the lake’s health.
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