WHY LAUNCHING THIS PROJECT ?
WHY LAUNCHING THIS PROJECT ?
With a water availability below 1000 m3 per capita per year, Kenya is categorized as a water-scarce country. Frequent droughts, deforestation, increased flooding, insufficient management of water supply, water contamination, and population growth have engendered further water stress.
In light of the urgency of the situation, the Kenyan Government has strengthened its commitment to develop effective measures, both locally and nationally. The Government focuses on reforming the current water and sanitation policies, and reorganizing its institutional structures. It highlights the importance of the local sector in assessing water-related challenges, and implementing effective policies, in order to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and to ensure human right to safe water.
GIWEH supports the effort of the Government by launching a two years project that aims to enhance the technical knowledge of the local and national institutions in monitoring and managing hydrological information.
This project takes place in the broader context of analyzing water resources management practices in Kenya, and aligning national water-related policies to the Sustainable Development Goal 6 and its targets.
Together with KEWASNET and the Kenyan Govenrment, GIWEH will work to reduce the discrepancy between international norms and local practices. The Government of Kenya will be the driving authority in guiding the project; GIWEH will be an auxiliary team to provide support, training, capacity building, and information technology on systems for data collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination.
HOW WILL IT BE DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED ?
GIWEH will ensure the absorption and alignment of the indicators, monitoring mechanisms, and institutions required to track progress on the Sustainable Development Goal 6. It will focus on water and sanitation issues in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Kajiado, and Marsabit by providing technical support and capacity building training in order to effectively monitor the water conditions in Kenya.
Overall, this project will help develop sustainable and secure access to safe water, and raise the quality of life, especially amongst the poorest groups of the population.
The project first focuses on building the capacity of local and national water institutions in management of hydrological information. Its targets also include the collection, analyzing and dissemination of accurate data throughout the country, and with the UN and the international community. Finally, the conduct of citizen surveys in selected counties aims to strengthen sector knowledge, and will be used as a basis for increased joint reflection and ownership of water related goals, targets and indicators.
WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES ?
Through the capacity building effort, this project is expected to create and develop an efficient and holistic water monitoring framework and strengthen cooperation among different actors at all levels. Ultimately, this project will provide the UN with a comprehensive, participative and evolutive database.
With a special emphasis on sanitation, this project will highlight the link between public health and sanitation, and, more broadly, between water security and development.