Focus on Catchment Protection as Dutch-funded Water Project Launched

In December 2021, WWF-Kenya launched a five-year Catchment to Tap (C2T) national project to enhance government efforts to improve water security through protection of key catchment areas with a focus in Nakuru, Embu and Homa Bay counties.
Funded by the Netherlands Embassy in Kenya, the C2T project will be implemented in partnership with World Waternet, VEI, Egerton University and other water stakeholders in the country.
Rose Makenzi, Policy Officer, Food Security and Water at the Netherlands Embassay in Kenya, said that the project has a nationwide geographical focus, adding that it looks at every aspect that affects water resources either negatively or positively to ensure that water resources are available for multiple demands.
WWF-Kenya's Kenya Rift Lakes Programme Manager, Dr William Ojwang', said the project will help enhance the country's water per capita.
"Water access across the country is still a big problem as many Kenyans still fetch water directly from the river hence the need to reduce pollution & enhance water quality," said Dr. Ojwang.
Marieke Van Nood, who is World Waternet's Regional Director Asia, East Africa and Southern Africa, emphasized the importance of more people and water users taking collective action in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and also understand that water does not come from the tap but from catchment areas.

“Kenya is a water-stressed country. Our per capita water availability is 647m³ per year which is far below the global average of 1,000m³. Distribution of water resources is uneven in the country hence the need for regulation,” said John Kinyanjui, Water Resource Assessment and Monitoring Manager, Water Resources Authority.