The government is counting on small dams to help build community resilience against the effects of climate change, CS for East African Community, ASALs, and Regional Development, Ms. Rebecca Miano, has said.
Ms. Miano said that although big dams solve water supply problems on a large scale, the importance of small dams in solving village-level water problems cannot be overlooked.
The CS was speaking at Kiamugongo Primary School grounds in Muminji Ward of Embu County shortly after commissioning the Andu a Kiome earth dam that will help local villagers’ access water.
The 15,000 cubic metre dam will serve 200 households and their 4000 livestock, together with local schools, saving them the daily seven-kilometre journey they used to make to River Thuura for their water supplies.
The dam, a collaboration between the national government through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), the County Government of Embu and the local community, cost more than Sh 10 million.
The national government, through NDMA, contributed Sh 6.3 million for excavation works, site fencing, a water kiosk and sanitation facilities, while the county government did the feasibility study, technical surveys, design, and technical supervision, and the local community provided land.
Ms Miano said the ever-longer droughts occasioned by climate change were a threat to lives and livelihoods and that stakeholders needed to come up with innovative ways to mitigate the effects of such droughts.
She said farmers need to consider adopting more drought resistant crops such as sorghum, green gramme, and cotton.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, The Ministry’s Principal Secretary, Idris Dokota, Mbeere North MP, Geoffrey Ruku and Embu County Commissioner also attended the occasion.
Ms. Mbarire said that although there were programmes in place to see how available water resources could best serve the county’s residents, the national government was implementing programmes to alleviate local water problems in the long term.
She said of the three large dams planned to address the county’s water problems, Kamumu dam construction would be launched in three months’ time; construction of the proposed Thuci Dam had been advertised; and Thambana Dam was being documented.
Ms. Mbarire said that through her intervention, the drier parts of Embu had been reclassified as ASAL regions, which will help unlock equalisation funds for the county.
The Governor, together with Mr. Ruku and Muminji MCA Newton Kariuki, asked the national government to intervene to have the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority release at least 20,000 of the 47,000 acres of land it holds around the Seven Forks Dams to local farmers to grow food.
By Steve Gatheru
