BOREHOLE INTEGRITY IN KENYA'S WAJIR DISTRICT

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001805

SIPDIS

AIDAC AFDROUGHT

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EPRATT
USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA, WGARVELINK, LROGERS
DCHA/OFDA FOR GGOTTLIEB, PMORRIS, CGOTTSCHALK,
KCHANNELL
DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN
AFR/EA FOR JBORNS, KNELSON
USUN FOR EMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY

E.O. 12958QN/A
TAGS: EAID KE
SUBJECT: BOREHOLE INTEGRITY IN KENYA'S WAJIR DISTRICT


Summary


1. Boreholes, pumping water from depths of 200 meters,
are critical in sustaining pastoralists and livestock
in Kenya?s arid Wajir District. Pumps have been
operating continuously during the last six-month dry
period and their mechanical integrity is now
questionable. Exhausted generators, broken pipes, and
collapsed storage tanks characterize most of the sites,
which receive little support from government or
resource poor communities. Rehabilitation of wells is
necessary to reduce the high likelihood of failure due
to mechanical breakdowns. USAID/OFDA recommends
rehabilitation interventions at five strategic
locations in Wajir District to mitigate a humanitarian
decline if the current rains are poor, and during
future dry periods. End Summary.

USAID Assessment Trip


2. From April 14 to 17, USAID/OFDA Regional Advisor,
USAID/OFDA Agriculture and Food Security Advisor, and
USAID/FFP Desk Officer traveled to Garissa and Wajir
districts in northeastern Kenya. USAID/OFDA partner
CARE, which currently implements drought interventions
in Garissa District, hosted the delegation. The team
visited several boreholes and discussed the impact of
the drought with affected pastoralist populations. A
separate cable will present the team's findings
regarding pastoralist livelihood and food security.


3. An estimated 60,000 pastoralists and their animals
live in the part of southern Wajir District visited by
the team. The area is a central transit point for
pastoralists taking animals to markets and pasture in
Somalia and the surrounding districts of Garissa,
Isiolo, and Mandera. According to USAID-supported
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET),large
numbers of cattle perished during the recent dry season
and global malnutrition rates are above emergency
levels. USAID is supporting general distributions to
populations through the World Food Program (WFP); and
health, nutrition and water assistance through partners
CARE and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Current Situation


4. Rain is now falling throughout the district.
Natural water points and pasture is improving, and
thousands of pastoralists who previously congregated
around boreholes are migrating to traditional grazing
points. A good rainy season is critical for local
recovery; however, migration has reduced demand for
water at boreholes compared to during the dry season,
meaning less operational hours on the generators and
distribution systems required to pull clean water from
aquifers as deep as 200 meters.


5. The average age of the four boreholes visited in
southern Wajir is more than 20 years. All sites are
still productive; however, machinery, storage tanks,
and distribution systems are dilapidated, leak water,
and are unhygienic. Furthermore, the local water
management committees are untrained in the management
and maintenance of boreholes, partly due to the fact
that hitherto, theQ water resources were managed by
the Ministry of Water on behalf of the communities.
New GOK water legislation has transferred management of
these water points to the local populations, who are
technically and financially unprepared for the task.


6. During Kenya's dry season in the arid areas,
boreholes represent the only source of water for both
people and livestock. Should the rains be poor this
year, demand on the wells will again spike and their
ability to produce will be critical for pastoralists'
survival.

Humanitarian Response


7. The Humanitarian Aid Department of the European
Commission (ECHO) and the German Government are
spending a total of 1.6 million U.S. dollars (USD) on
programs to rehabilitate boreholes and their
distribution systems in the northern and central parts
of Wajir District. The establishment and training of
local water management committees, responsible for the
maintenance at each location, is a key component of
these interventions. Water committees charge a user
fee, which is used for maintenance and repair.


8. Since 1991, CARE has worked in Kenya's North
Eastern Province, initially providing for Somalia
refugees and then branching out to assist host
communities. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, USAID/OFDA
provided 250,000 USD to CARE for water interventions in
host communities in Garissa District, south of Wajir
District. With USAID/OFDA support CARE is repairing
water infrastructure in eight locations in Garissa,
including tanks, animal troughs, tap stands, and
storage systems at schools. In addition to improving
access to water, CARE is enhancing community
participation and project sustainability through the
training of water committees and borehole and pump
attendants.


9. Recognizing the need for similar interventions in
neighboring southern Wajir District, CARE recently
submitted a proposal to USAID/OFDA to rehabilitate five
existing borehole sites in Dadajabura, Habaswain, and
Lagbogol locations. In several towns visited, the
USAID assessment team observed people and animals
sharing the same water point, raising concerns of water
contamination and human diarrheal illnesses. To remedy
this situation, CARE proposes to construct separate
water kiosks and livestock troughs to avoid
contamination. CARE's proposed activities would
compliment ECHO and German government activities and
ensure balanced assistance throughout the district. If
approved, work would begin in May.

Conclusions and Recommendations


10. Rainfall has begun to fall in the Wajir District,
temporarily recharging pasture and natural water
points. A good rainy season is essential for
pastoralists and livestock to begin recovering from the
previous six months of dry conditions.


11. Productive boreholes in Wajir District will be
critical to humanitarian conditions should the current
long rains fail, as well as during future dry seasons.
Recovering pastoralists have few alternatives to access
clean water for personal and livestock use.


12. Boreholes in the region have been under tremendous
strain for the past six months, operating 24 hours a
day due to dry season demands. Generators, pumps,
control panels, and distribution infrastructure are in
disrepair and dilapidated. Unless rehabilitated, they
are unlikely to be productive during the next dry
period.


13. The USAID assessment team recommends supporting
projects designed to keep arid land boreholes
operational and train local residents on maintenance
and management of boreholes already established in the
region.

BELLAMY