Environmental Monitoring and management training is a necessity for sustainable groundwater management in the face of climate and human-induced risks. Planning frequently overlooks groundwater since it is a resource that is practically invisible. It is also a shared resource in great demand, particularly for irrigation, livestock energy production, and drinking water supplies. Thus, the development of groundwater resources has often been susceptible to stakeholders acting based on short-term personal interests rather than informed decisions and long-term community needs. As a result, groundwater resources, especially the urban aquifers in arid regions, face increasing climate and human-induced risks. For instance, high climate variability under a changing climate, rapid population growth, groundwater pollution from different land uses, and over-exploitation. Thus, uncertainties exist regarding sufficient potable groundwater availability for future generations.
Lodwar Alluvial Aquifers System is the major water source for the urban population and the pastoral communities in the peri-urban and rural settings in Lodwar, Turkana county. Studies by the REACH Programme have established that the aquifers here are sustained by the Turkwel River, the only perennial river in the northwestern part of Kenya. However, with the competing demands for water, arid conditions and limited sanitation facilities, environmental monitoring is necessary to sustain groundwater resources through informed approaches. As a result, an Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan is being developed for this aquifer. As part of the co-development and capacity-building process of the water professionals and policy makers in the water sector, the programme carried out environmental monitoring training.
Training: Environmental Monitoring and Management Training
Event Date: 11-14 October 2022.
Location: Lodwar Turkana County
Facilitator/Trainer: Dr. Florence Tanui, Post-Doctoral Fellow;
Department of Earth and Climate Sciences,
University of Nairobi (REACH Kenya Programme)