NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION Conserving Water Resources For The Future
DRAFT STRATEGIC MILESTONES AND CHALLENGES 2011 - 2016
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION Conserving Water Resources For The Future
DRAFT STRATEGIC MILESTONES AND CHALLENGES 2011 - 2016
Executive Summary List of Abbreviations and Acronyms • HH…………………………………………….............................HOUSEHOLDS • MOV………………………………………….........MEANS OF VERIFICATION • NWRUA………… ......NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION • NR………………………………………………......................NGUSISHI RIVER • OVI…………………………………..OBJECTIVELY VERIFIABLE INDICATORS • PCS…………………………………………….......................................PIECES • WRMA…………………… WATER RESOUCES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY • WDC…………………………………………..WRUA DEVELOPMENT CYCLE • WSTF……………………………………………WATER SERVICES TRUST FUND
TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary
......………………….………………………............. i
List of Abbreviations
……………………………………………………...... i
Table of Contents
……………………………………………………...... ii
Introduction
……………………………………………………..... 3
NNWRUA Vision
……………………………………………………..... 4
NNWRUA Mission
……………………………………………………..... 4
Organizational Structure ……………………………………….................. 4 Water use efficiency
………………………………………………............. 5
Springs and riparian land protection …………………..…………….......... 6 Community leadership and outreach strategy…………….................... 7 Metering at project level …………………………………………................ 8 Metering at household level ………………………………………………... 8 Communication and outreach strategy ................................................ 8 Financial sustainability .............................................................................. 9 Institutional Development Welfare ............................................................ 12 Monitoring and evaluation .................................................................... 13 Conclusions
..............................................................................14
1
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
ď ą INTRODUCTION Ngusishi Water Resources Users Association was formed in 1998 as a Self Help Group with interest in sharing the tiny Ngusishi River. This was prompted by a series of conflicts between the upstream, midstream and downstream members who always clashed over the stream for domestic and livestock water. After a series of meetings and consultations a common agreement was formed to establish and register a Water Resource Users Association (WRUA). With the help of WRMA, the Association was registered in 2002. The Association is composed of 16 Water projects and covers an area of 21km2. There is a general increase in the demand for water in the Association, due to population increase and economic growth, but the resource base is limited. The Association is composed of 830 registered households and is estimated to have an overall population of over 7000 people and over 50,000 livestock. Ngusishi river flows for 12km and joins Timau river. I t only discharges 68 l/sec which are shred among its 16 water projects to leave 30% to flow in the river. In dry seasons it only flows for a few kilometers and dries up. This compounds the problem of accessibility to water and illegal water abstractions occur in the stream. The Association also faces problems of catchment degradation, underdevelopment of water infrastructure, poverty and HIV/AIDS. To alleviate the above problems, the Association is responsible for the formulation of workable management strategies for the management, development, conservation, protection and control of the water resources .This document is a tool that describes the framework for the advancement of the development projects already initiated in the Association and those to come.
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
2
NWRUA VISION The NWRUA Vision is to manage the leading WRUA in Kenya in ensuring accessibility to adequate clean, safe drinking water to all its members.
NWRUA MISSION Is to ensure that The NWRUA Catchment resources are protected, improved and transparently, effectively and efficiently utilized by all its members to alleviate of poverty.
NWRUA CATCHMENT MAP
Ngusishi Market Muthuri Spring
Kabeere sp. Batian sp.
Oldonyo farm
lolomarik farm Chumvi Community
timau town
Kongoni Community
Ngusishi river timau river
Wiumiririe Community Olenaishu farm
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
3
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
NWUA ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE NWRUA ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CENTRAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
FINANCE COMMITEE SUB COMMITEE OF C.M.C
PROCUREMENT COMMITEE SUB COMMITEE OF C.M.C
MONITORING AND EVALUATIION COMMITEE SUB - COMMITEE C.M.C
MANAGERS
SCOUTS
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
4
WATER USE EFFICIENCY It is the endeavor of the Association to achieve maximum utilization efficiency to all its members. This has prompted the Association to look into ways of ensuring the use of as little water as possible among its users. The association also aims at increasing small holder food production using the most appropriate technologies that allow other household activities to run simultaneously eventually reducing poverty and increasing household income. To achieve this aim the Association has contacted various donors to assist in facilitating drip farming technology in the household level. Already seven drip farming pilot projects are established and communities have overwhelmingly demanded the drip kit. The kits were donated by Lydia Rouse and Laikipia Wildlife Forum. The Association aims at providing a total of 830 drip kits of quarter acre to ensure each household in the Association have fully equipped quarter acre land under drip irrigation through out the year. The following table shows the intended objects of this endeavor. Objective 1.To minimize water wastage by eradicating furrow and overhead irrigation 2.To eradicate food poverty at household level
Activities/ Action To install 830 pcs of ¼ acre drip plots at the 6 community projects by 2015
Target areas All censured HH in the 6 community projects
Grow ¼ acre mixed food crops at 830 drip plots by 2015
All censured HH in the 6 community projects
OVI
MOV
Responsibility
Maximum water use efficiency and utilization by projects
Meter readings, training reports, demo plots
Donors,
Increased food production and income at household level
Food production records, HH surveys, sales records
NWRUA
Donors, NWRUA, Members
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
5
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
ď ą SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION This is a critical section for the survival of the not only the riparian lands of the Ngusishi catchment areas, but the well being of all consumers of Ngusishi water and the their agricultural practices. NWRUA has undertaken trainings in all the six projects on soil and conservation. This training was funded by the Water Services Trust Fund (WSTF). The Association envisages a community water project where all the natural resources are holistically managed for both posterity and the benefits of the future generations. The Association is introducing water conservation technologies at household levels. This idea has received its start from Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) with a funding to do six water pans as a pilot project. Each of the six community projects will have a learning ground on ground water harvesting and storage, an idea borrowed from commercial farms where 90 day storage dams are a common phenomenon. The Association also realizes that introduction of roof catchment will add a great deal of volume of water from rain .The Association intends to enlighten all its members on the importance of using gutters on their roofs to harvest rain water and store in PVC tanks for use during dry season. The table below shows envisaged objectives of this sector: Objective
1.To eradicate shortages of water by promoting flood water harvesting and storage 2.To promote rainwater roof harvesting
3.To promote rain water storage 4.Implement Conservation farming at household level
Activities/ Action
Target areas
To install 830 water pans of 100m3 in the six communities by 2015
830 households
To install 830 gutters by 2015
830 households
OVI
Increased acreages of small holder irrigation, Reduced pressure on Ngusishi river Increased acreages of small holder irrigation, Reduced pressure on NR
To install 830 t RWH PVC tanks to 830 households by 2015 Train all households on the Back-pack conservation farming concept
MOV
Food production records
Donors, NWRUA,
Meter readings, GPS record
Household owners and Members
Food production records
Donors, NWRUA,
Meter readings, GPS records
830 households
Improved health Reduced distances to water, reduced pressure NR
Hospital records Meter readings
830 households
Reduced labour cost,
Labour records,
Increased food production
Food production records
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
Responsibility
HH owners and Members
Donors, NWRUA,HH owners NWRUA, Projects, members
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
6
ď ą SPRINGS AND RIPARIAN LAND PROTECTION. The NWRUA Objective here is to promote appropriate and productive riparian land uses in collaboration with land owners. The aim is to ensure the land use activities do not encourage soil erosion, to plant the right tree species that provide long duration of shade to the river and identify specific livestock drinking points to avoid conflicts within the riparian lands. The situation currently is worse in some section of Ngusishi river and good in others. The Association has conducted riparian land uses training with assistance from WSTF and most members are aware of riparian lands. The Association has witnessed a protracted effort by land owners to thwart activities of water sharing sitting facts that springs emanate from their land. This is a contentious issue and it is the endeavor of the Association to see all spring areas are gazetted. This will enable conservation activities to protect spring eyes and enhance equitable resource sharing. It is the aim of the Association to manage the resource openly and cooperatively with land owners. If this is not possible then the government has to come in and declare all springs important catchment areas and facilitate protection of such areas for the common benefit for all The Association has continuously planted trees in the riparian areas every rain season. What remains now is the actual pegging and delineation to mark the extent of cultivation. Also members’ sensitization on protection and conservation of the riparian sections is a crucial part of the success of the whole idea. The table below shows various activities projected in the riparian areas Objective
Activities
1.To identify and peg all NR riparian lands 2.To ensure all the 16 km NR and its tributaries have fully protected riparian areas by 2015
To measure and peg 16 km of both sides of the river
3.To build capacity on riparian land protection and rights
To conduct 2 trainings on riparian lands each year to 2016
To plant 500 indigenous tree seedlings on riparian lands every rain season in the 6 communities
Target areas All riparian lands, 16 km main furrow, 3 NR tributaries Riparian land owners
Land owners
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
Marks/pegs on both sides of furrows
Pegging report, Pictures,
Donors,
Changes in tree cover on the furrow,
Tree plantings and survivor reports,
WRMA, Donors to fund seedlings buying,
Changes in water volume downstream, Reduced erosion
Tree census report,
Clean flood water, reduced evaporation Increase access by NWUA to riparian, increased tree planting on riparian, reduced erosion,
Training reports
NWRUA, Land owners
NWRUA members and employees to ensure survivor and census Donors, NWRUA, WRMA
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
7
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
ď ą COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Association aims at achieving support for all its resolutions across all projects. In the last years the Association has learnt that not all resolutions minuted at meetings end up getting full support and backing from within projects. We identified some of the reasons to emanate from the fact that some project leaders may be biased on project decisions or may have personal interests or may be just skeptical about the whole idea or project but did not want to oppose it at the committee meetings. During the implementation level then the entire projects get jeopardized because there is minimal or no members support For any Resource User Association to function, whether at a project level, Community level or Association level, it is necessary that all parties involved are committed to make the system work. This is only possible if they are involved in the planning, design, construction and operation of the system and if they are convinced that it is in their own interest The Association aims at achieving project leaders’ support and cooperation in formation and implementation stages of the projects. We realize that by sensitizing our projects leaders we are raising the level of awareness about the importance of the projects being implemented. To win consensus on various projects issues and reach a compromise on the most contentious ones the Association aims at the following: Objective
Activities
Target areas All project elected leaders
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
1.To achieve support of Community leaders on projects 2.To equip project managers with the necessary skills of community projects dynamics
To conduct 2 community leaders training each year to 2015
Increased support to projects
WRMA, Donors, NWRUA, Projects
To procure 2 trainings of the NWRUA managers on CBO management
NWRUA Managers
Effective/ efficient running of the Community Water Projects
Training reports, List of participants in projects activities Certificates of training attendance
Procure 2 training on Projects Management
NWRUA Managers
Increased delivery of projects results
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
NWRUA, Donors
Follow-ups on trainings
Projects reports, certificate of participation
NWRUA, Donors
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
8
METERING SYSTEM AT PROJECT LEVEL The Association through the assistance of friends and other stakeholders has managed to install master meters to all the sixteen projects including the three common intakes. This achievement has enabled the association to ensure every project allocation is well monitored throughout and recorded. The master meters are read and cleaned on a daily bases by the NWRUA scouts. The master meters are purchased by the Association on behalf of the projects. This has enabled the proper monitoring of springs production and data compilation on a daily bases. There is need to initiate data collection and monitoring of ground water in the catchment by 2012 in order to enable effective and sustainable management of water resources as well as for planning.
METERING SYSTEM AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL In order to ensure that water use efficiency is reflected to the household level, the Association is encouraging all its members install meters at their households. This way the Association aims to achieve high efficiency of utilization of the water resource and enhance user pay principle.
COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH STRATEGY This is a critical area of success the Association has achieved in a period of one year .The Association aims at achieving concrete foundation of communication and information sharing with other WRUAs, Governments, Authorities, supporters, donors and all communities within and without Ngusishi Catchment Area. To achieve this aim the Association has managed to explore various ways and means of communication and has domesticated the use of modern technology like electronic media The Association e-mail address info@ngusishi.com has made easier the way and style communication with both its members and friends and supporters. The Association has also opened e-mail addresses fro all its 16 members. The Association’s website www.ngusishi.com has made the Association to place strategic information about the current and future activities. The table below shows some of the stages of communication and information sharing: NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
9
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
Objective
Activities
1.To establish a NWRUA communication mechanism
1.To provide information to be posted into NWRUA website
2.To establish a public relations desk
Target areas
All NWRUA projects
2. To prepare and disseminate Newsletters and pamphlets regularly.
Projects progresses, AGM , meetings, conservation, spring productions,
3.Organize functions to reward best performing projects in various aspects
furrow cleaning, tree planting, illegal abstractions, assistances, repairs, Audited accounts, project balances, meeting notices, meter readings, meeting minutes, allocations
1.Establish a notice board, and pigeon holes to post all relevant information and communication for members to scrutinize
2.To produce pamphlets twice a year
Project reports
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
NWRUA web pages, website, Barazas,emails, Minutes, reports,
Pictures, proposals, minutes
NWRUA
Newsletters and pamphlets
NWRUA
Number of certificates given, presents given
Reports, receipts, minutes
NWRUA
Feedback from members
Receipts from payments,
NWRUA
Feedback from members
Receipts from members and public
NWRUA
Managers
Managers
Managers
managers
ď ą FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY NWRUA realizes that it cannot survive to meet its long term objectives without being financially sustainable. Therefore the members have been made aware through various sensitizations that it is their responsibility to run the Association. Therefore the issue of user-pay arrangement was generally accepted and the members are now well paying there water use on monthly bases. Members have also agreed on an annual fee known as membership fee and calculated as per the amount of water allocated to each project. This will include agreeable fees raised from other water resources in the Catchment area NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
10
The NWRUA has a good relationship with the nearby commercial farms which have contributed enormously towards the establishment and sustainability of the NWRUA. It is therefore imperative for NWRUA to develop a framework for the NWRUA-Commercial farms partnership which will guide the engagement of the commercial farms. A clear module showing levels of investment plan in the NWRUA catchment will be good basis for the framework. NWRUA will engage in diversification of activities for income generation like establishment of tree nurseries, fish pods and horcultural farming The NWRUA will also support development of proposals by providing technical advice and capacity to its managers. The table below shows the strategies to be engaged in this regard: Objective
Activities
To ensure NWRUA collects adequate revenue to cover its operational cost
1.To build capacity on Proposal writing to NWRUA managers by 2012 2.To build capacity on the concept of User-Pay for water resources to Project members by 2012
Target areas NWRUA Managers
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
Trainings attendance,
Certificates issued
NWRUA/ commercial farms
Short courses
Projects Members
Trainings attendance
Attendance lists
NWRUA
3.Establishment of income generating projects to the NWRUA
Tree nurseries,
Income from sale of seedlings
Receipts
NWRUA,
4.Install two fish pods at the down and upstream projects by 2015
Upstream and downstream communities
Income from sale of fish
Receipts
Projects officials
NWRUA project officials
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
11
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WELFARE AND SUPPORT NWRUA SMALL HOLDER FARMERS ASSOCIATION. NWRUA currently serves a collective population of over 10,000 people. These are the members of the registered 830 households. There is a big potential of the 830 families coming together and pulling their agricultural produce to and forming a single marketing organization. This could be registered as NWRUA small holder farmers’ organization covering all the six community projects to enable marketing and price negotiation for produce as a common entity. This way the Association will have empowered its members to effectively fight poverty and also diversified its financial sources.
NWRUA OFFICE BLOCK Currently the Association’s offices are situated in rental blocks. This not only costs the Association huge amounts of money, but exposes its assets to threats of damages or loss. It is the endeavor of the Association to establish its own office block in a strategically viable area of Timau Township. This will be accessible position by road, and with proximity to basic facilities like water and electricity. Objective
Activities
To ensure economic sustainability of NWRUA community projects
To establish a common market for NWRUA Community Projects Produce 1.To purchase a 1 acre space for office block within Timau Township by 2013
Projects,HH
2. To construct an office block by 2016
Contractors, planners
To ensure NWRUA assets are well protected and accessibility
Target areas
Land office, willing sellers,
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
A registered produce marketing organization with all required documents A registered 1 acre piece of land near basic amenities
Certificate of registration
Main Committee
Title deed
Executive committee
A fully furnished NWRUA office block
Addresses, signboards
Executive committee and Managers
PCN,Reciepts
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
12
ď ą MONITORING AND EVALUATION There is need for an evaluation tool which will enable understanding of the NWRUA processes and efficient and equitable planning and management of the NWRUA projects. The comprehensive tool will ensure that all projects being implemented are compliant to the set objectives both at implementation stage, midterm and end- term evaluation complete with means of verification. Already the Association has established a system where all the three springs’ production are well monitored using master meters. Proper recording has enabled the Association to monitor daily production and consumption by the sixteen members and where need be corrective actions are taken immediately. Data on ground water is paramount for proper evaluation of the catchment potential. This will start to be well monitored after agreement between the bore owners and NWRUA To enable effective monitoring of the river establishment of V-notches and RGSs will come in hardy for fulltime information gathering on the river flow. The Association wishes to establish a data bank or a resource centre where information detailing the major environmental, development and catchment changes over time are captured and stored for comparison and future use. This includes use of satellite maps, digital pictures, and aerial photographs. Objective
Activities
To establish ground water monitoring system by 2012
Publish database for all the bore holes in catchment
Target areas Boreholes ,project
OVI
MOV
Responsibilities
Data on borehole production
Meter records
Projects,NWRUA
GPS coordinates
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
13
2011 - 2016
STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES
ď ą CONCLUSIONS We hope that the implementation of this Strategy will help the Association achieve further success and continue being a model in the country. We also expect it to be an effective tool for development and to fight poverty in Catchment
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION
NGUSISHI WATER RESOURCE USERS ASSOCIATION P.O.Box 33 - 10406 Timau, Kenya Tel: +254 722 886 45, +254 724 597 472 E-mail: info@ngusishi.com website: www.ngusishi.com