At a forum that brought together climate scientists from the KMD, community representatives and leaders (including traditional forecasters, religious leaders, chiefs, women leaders, youth leaders and pastoralist and farmer group leaders) ; local government officials (including from the Agriculture, Environment, the provincial administration ,Water, Planning and ASALs), civil society organizations at the community and local levels in Thika, James Muhnidi of the KMD said the situation in the three months appears to be closely related to the devastating drought of 2009.

According to Muhindi, although there was good rainfall the last quarter of 2011 with analysis of the “Short Rains” (October-November-December) 2011 seasonal rainfall indicating that the performance was generally good with all the meteorological stations in Wajir, Lodwar and Mandera recording more than 300 percent of their seasonal (above 75% of the Long-Term Mean (LTM)) rainfall, the pastoralists have however not recovered from the 2009 drought and any rainfall shortfall in the following months will seriously affect them.

Recalling what happened then, communities from NEP said they expect deaths due to starvation, migration in search of pasture and water, conflicts among communities in the province and wildlife human conflicts unless remedial measures are taken.

In 2009, livestock were moved to Lamu, Somalia and few animals that left the province returned. The few that returned came back with diseases.

A combination of drought, high food prices, the lingering effects of post-election violence, a cholera outbreak, and a continued influx of refugees from Somalia left hundreds of thousands of people in the province in need of assistance.

Experts attributed the rise in the shortened cycle of natural disasters to global climate change and environmental degradation.

December, January, February and March have so far been dry. Muhindi said January recorded the highest temperatures in 13 years and some parts of NEP have already started some water stress and reduced pasture.

He urged government agencies not to relax based on the last good rain season last October, November and December warning that pastoralists require two good seasons before they can fully recover.

However, this time round, said Muhinid, pastoralists are likely to be hit with another devastating drought before they are fully recovered.

According to predictions from the global circulations from the Pacific and other factors controlling the weather, the factors indicate the 2009 scenario…meaning that rainfall would be very little. Then rainfall was less than 20%.

The rain is expected on the second week of April and may last barely two weeks to end early May.

Maureen Amabni, Climate and Communication officer, CARE International in Kenya’s Adaptation Learning Programme(ALP) the communities will pick the information and take it down to their communities who will in turn decide what to do with the information.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

In this article suggestions have been given to the government of India in context to its draft National Water Policy 2012 towards water resource planning, development and management in the Mountains of India. This policy document talks about national level water related issues like; legal, usage, climate change adaptation, availability, management, pricing, infrastructure, planning, R & R policies, disaster preparedness, institutional arrangements, among others.  It has been advised that the national Policy needs to be constructed considering various ecological principles in terms of judicious use and equitable development.

The Government of India intend to revise the National Water Policy (Link: Draft National Water Policy India Feb 2012 ) after almost ten years and asked for comments. After reading the national water policy 2012, I am proposing specific comments in regards to mountain states of India.

The mountain regions of India need enough attention due to their very different topography and geomorphological settings. Mountains occupy 24% of the surface area on Earth and have ecological, aesthetic, and socioeconomic significance, not only for the people who derive their daily subsistence from mountain resources, but, also for the estimated 40% of the global population depending indirectly on these resources for water, hydroelectricity, timber, biodiversity, and other niche products (A. Schild 2010). Himalayan glaciers are the source of the great Asian rivers on which about 2 billion people depend for drinking water and irrigation for their crops.

In 2008, the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution 62/196 on sustainable mountain development, which specifically emphasized on sustainable development of the mountain region regions by recognizing the global importance of mountains as the source of most of the Earth’s freshwater.

Of the total 50,000 glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region the Indian Himalayan region contains 9575 glaciers and feeds 19 river systems, which includes the major rivers like Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. The glaciers in the Indian Himalayan region are spread across above 1 million Sq. km of mountain area with a total of about 23 thousand Sq. km glacial area.

In the above context, though the present Water Policy discusses coastal the regions of India (covering 11 Indian states) and the impact of climate change, but, equal importance has not been given to the 12 Indian mountain states. We need to think about this in terms of mountain specific water resource planning and budgeting. Our mountains store water in the form of snow, glaciers, permafrost, wetlands, and rivers, and they supply watersheds by providing ground water recharge. The communities who live in mountain areas benefit from these services, but the main beneficiaries of this huge water storage capacity are the multitudes who live in the vast basin areas downstream.

A recent Task Force Report of the Planning Commission of India (in 2010) on the hill states specifically emphasized that the mountains have profound effect on the climate of the Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau. It states that the water resource in the Indian Himalayan region are under threat due to diminishing discharge of springs and lowering water table, high silt load, water pollution and reduced water flow from big hydropower projects.

Following are the specific recommendations of the Task force in the context of mountain water:

1. In the Indian hill regions there should be provisions for water recharge zones and spring sanctuaries, rainwater harvesting and community owned network of small hydropower generation.
2. The ground water potential of different states of the Indian Himalayan region should be considered while planning for water security of the region.
3. There is a need for workable and community supported solutions to the discharge of polluted water for human habitation and agro-horticulture and industrial operations.

The Hindu Kush Himalayan mountains are a major source of stored water in the region. Water is retained in the form of ices and snow in the high mountains, as well as being stored in natural lakes, wetlands, and ground water aquifers, and behind constructed dams.  It is evident that the temperature and precipitation in the form of rainfall and snow largely determine the hydrological cycle, including runoff. The changes in these factors will thus impact freshwater supplies from mountain areas and have implications for water availability in the lowlands.

The High altitude wetlands are important ecosystems in the Himalayan region (form 16% of total area of HKH) and the ground water aquifers are important for water storage.

Given that the Water Policy 2012 contains all the possible elements of water resource planning, implementation and management, but in my view it should adopt a more pragmatic approach in putting and defining them. Following suggestions should be considered by the policy making team in context to mountain regions specifically, and in general:

1. Water storage based on local practices, should be encouraged.
2. It should have solutions that consider shorter and erratic rainfall, to store massive quantities of water for dry spells.
3. There is a need to understand the potential of water storage for climate change adaptation in mountain regions, and, therefore, it is necessary to look at the natural storage systems in the cryosphere and biosphere, as well as examining constructed systems (The natural systems in the cryosphere include snow, ices and glacial lakes, while the natural systems in the biosphere include soil, moisture, ground water aquifers and natural water bodies and wetlands. The constructed systems include artificial ponds and tanks, as well as small and large reservoirs.)
4. The Policy should look in the existing National Action Plan for Climate Change that emphasizes water resources in terms of adaptation and mitigation measures.
5. While the Policy talks about the ‘low public consciousness’ on water security and its economic value, we need to incorporate the specific provisions of larger and comprehensive IEC (information, education, communication) campaigning through all possible means to save water and I would say that the proposed authorities should take stock from the national campaign – the Polio Eradication programme.
6. While we covered the human, social and economic needs of water in planning, development and management, equal emphasis has not been given to the ecological need, and payment for ecological services (PES).
7. Provisions to fulfill the data gap in the Indian Himalayan region in the context of complete data set on temperature and rainfall pattern will help in future planning.
8. We can’t afford to have the private sector taking charge of water in the states due various reasons and this issue should be dealt with cautiously through a separate debate, considering the environmental and ecosystem issues.
9. In water pricing I see that provisions have been made selectively on volumetric basis, if this is the case then we must think that the water used by big hydropower projects, due to which many ecosystems in the river basins get affected should be charged for holding huge amount of water for the electricity generation. We should think in terms of natural and man-made storage systems, so for obvious reasons when we are using a definite volume of water for productive purposes or business like industrial operations, hydro-power generation or tourism, etc. the cost of using that water should be borne by that business on a volumetric basis.
10. Special emphasis should be given to research areas like GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods), and high altitude wetlands.
11. Given that in practice different aspects of water use in India fall within the purview of several ministries, line departments and institutions, at both the central and state levels a cautious and practical approach needs to be adopted by applying the IWRM principles for water development and management.

Photo Credit: Mr. Dinesh Mahtolia, Nainital, Uttarakhand (India)

AUTHOR: K. N. Vajpai
URL: http://vajpai.org and http://chimalaya.org
E-MAIL: knvajpai [at] climatehimalaya.net

I have first hand information on dirty practices of certain villagers in that region where they pack sand carelessly in front of their buildings to sell. They assume the roadside in front of their building as part of their space; this makes them hire people to pack and transport clayey from there to points where they are sold; good net-profit and happy land owner right? bad for the environment and their safety, they should be censured.

I did my Youth Service somewhere around that region and I saw what environmental challenges was for the people during dry and rainy seasons. It is something we can work out, It is not an impossibility, It is not rocket science, at the level of our development in Nigeria as a nation, we can keep erosion especially in South East Nigeria at bay. Clayey is predominant in South East Nigeria, which has made farming practices there different from other parts of the nation; we can talk of successful farming in South-East Nigeria (SEN), but still growing are solutions towards erosion and environmental matters.

Erosion in SEN mostly occurs during rainy season, it is said to be caused by water, wind and gravity. Solutions from, manual, natural, automatic and artificial will be proffered in this write up; collectively or separately, they can be applied as long or short term solutions.

Manual, just as road contacts are assigned and carried out, manual methods as make shift solutions can be available state wide with interested youth handed pittance to ensure that sloping water channels by roadside head to a local waterway, this means that they are hired to make or adjust water ways.

It requires a design, mustn’t be from professional architectural knowledge; those in charge will have to build channels in accordance with peculiarity of places, such that small channels are directed to medium channels and medium channels to large channels. Unskilled laborers can build these channels for short term use. The channels are so that fast flowing water finds it path to and through them. Overtime as this works, the channels can be constructed, and made permanent as long term solution to erosion especially in those areas.

Natural, erosion has water make way for self, in SEN, such channels remain permanent during rainy season. Already made channels by erosion can be used as small or middle channel where fast-flowing water should be lead from or to medium or large channels.

Currently depleted land parts can be termed active sites for this writing, stress test, age analysis and conformity maybe necessary to see active sites developed to water channels; these checks will help reduce the risk of causing more damages to the environment when working to convert active sites to medium channels. Not expanding active sites but providing wide pipes as channels that lead to medium or directly to large channels will make sense, cost and protraction may not see this come as short-term solution. Spacious places can have such as permanent solution to be active for many years ahead.

Automatic, this is approached from already known channels that fast moving water make when passing through. Large erosion can take better part of clayey streets, especially with sloping topography obtainable in many places. Since the channels are known, and development maybe gradual for affected areas as long term solution; erosion created water channels will be part of the solution. Using water shock, a well sunk barrier to keep less water flow over it and make more water flow against it, to a direction that leads to a medium or large channel created by the government.

Erosion created channels may also be diverted at some point, such that alternate way is made for water flow lead to government made medium or large channels, this will posit quick recovery for the former erosion created channel and avoid further wash away.

One suggestion comes to mind here, Government contractors should install peculiar erosion control facilities during small and large scale infrastructural development in the region. So far we can thumbs up for government in that region, more effort is however required, it is never enough because we have to win this ‘erosion’ that seek to reduce us.

Artificial, the solution to Erosion in Nigeria is Research because South East Nigeria is of large land mass with different topography; varying solutions are required for different parts of the region.

One solution for everywhere will not just serve completely for all places affected; this implies that as solutions are brought and put forth, further solutions applicable to certain places should be welcome.

Having certain vegetable matter, mulch, along some erosion channels may help reduce erosion, this will be applied at certain places especially within cities; building a large catch basin around some area, may help rest fast moving water before evacuation with pipes away, this will make some sense for other parts also, terracing in some other place will reduce erosion in some other parts; adding gypsum to sand in some other area may enrich its chemical composition to help control erosion; gully reshaping and filling, gully floor stabilization and controlling gully heads will help out in many parts. I will briefly explain the last three below, for their relevance for erosion control in South East Nigeria.

Gully reshaping and filling: Gully is used to characterize a kind of erosion that creates a deep ditch cut by running water especially after prolonged downpour,
It can be created when watercourse balance is disturbed by larger than normal water flows. However, gully can be shaped and filled, for this gully size and amount of fill will be put in consideration. Annual crops can be used to provide a quick cover but water will be diverted during the process, not to interfere with crop growth and development. Topsoil from some other place can be stockpiled and spread over erosion exposed areas, these methods and some described above will be used for gully reshaping and filling.

Gully Floor stabilization: weirs from wire netting can support vegetable growth before the rainy season; vegetable weirs and branches of dead shrubs or trees also help to stabilize the gully floor to keep it from remaining a gully or further depletion. Controlling gully heads: diversion from gully head to a medium or large channel will help to maintain or reduce its width, drop structures to allow run-off to drop vertically to a lower level where energy is dissipated before flowing down the watercourse.

There are have been studies, there will be more studies to see that erosion is not a problem anymore in South East Nigeria; respective state ministry of environment will have to do more work, departments in environmental sciences of higher institutions in SEN should get to serious work also. As a matter of responsibility such work especially for 2011 rainy season should start now. The solutions listed above will be studied more and proffered to places where they exactly apply; locals (both young and old) of places facing gully erosion may be handed questionnaires or simply questions (in English or Igbo) on how they think erosion can be controlled.

There should be erosion control offices in communities to act as information source to respective state ministry of environment, these offices will act as a representative of the government towards erosion to the people and vise versa. Addresses and phone numbers will be available for ease when people will to proffer solution towards this; an aged mother may suggest how they worked things out in the 50’s and young schooled lady may have the picture of a design to let out water because of the good knowledge she has of her place. Suggestions as these will be put together to see that erosion is controlled in such places.

Professionals and groups will work together to ensure that all solutions are put to table and applied; badly bashed regions may be the initial focus of the project this year before others. When SEN state ministries of environment have erosion mitigation as precedence, they can request the Federal Ministry of environment in the way their assistance is needed; increased seriousness can have groups from the international community as coterie to have solutions. This is my first writing directed at solutions towards erosion in Nigeria; I hope to put up further writings.

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com