Evaluation of environmental and social impacts of community water projects: A case study of Kisayani Community Water Project in Kibwezi, Kenya

Abstract

The arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are experiencing increasing poverty" coupled with environmental degradation and inadequate water resources. In response to water scarcity, both national governments and international communities have initiated community water projects which have yielded positive and negative impacts when implemented. Kisayani Water Project (KWP) implemented in Kibwezi, a semi arid area in Kenya, aimed at improving the livelihood of the communities living in the area. Kisayani Water Project (KWP) underwent an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study before implementation. This follow-up study, evaluated environmental and social impacts of KWP and assessed the effectiveness of the EIA mitigation measures, and related the findings to current environmental and water policies in Kenya. Data were collected through questionnaire administration to the project beneficiaries Activities such as focus group discussions, field observations and informal interviews were also carried out. The KWP findings showed significant impact on several sectors where internal population immigration increased from 2002 to 2006 by 80%, while the land price per acre sky- rocketed from Kshs. 600 to Kshs. 25,000. Moreover, the water project beneficiaries had water borne disease prevalence of 18.6% compared to the control area where the incidences of water borne diseases were reported at 81.4 % of the total cases reported in study area. KWP also led to 30% improvement in food security though drought has a 70% frequency. Besides, diversification of income activities increased by 97% and environmental conservation initiatives increased by 90%. Lives of both women and youth were better after than before the project and the government departments became more active in the area than before. Other external beneficiaries to the KWP included the agro-chemical companies through increased sales of seeds and other farm inputs. Project management bythelocal community, greatly improved 'sense of ownership' compared with similar externally driven projects in other parts of the region. Environmental awareness and knowledge on ecosystem functioning among the community members improved by 40% as a result of participation in the EIA. The local committee responsible for Kisayani Water Project implementation were aware of, and used the negative mitigation measures has was advocated for during the participatory community EIA process. Some underlying factors such as local politics, poor governance in local water project committees as well as weak capacity in leadership were found to threaten the sustainability of water project. The study found that there is contention between the Water Service Boards and the Water Users Association at the community level and that the new Water Act (2002) is yet to have a positive impact on the local governance of community water supply and management. It is therefore recommended that the new Water Act of 2002 incorporates and ensure community and stakeholders' participation in EIA studies in addition to fine tuning the Act at implementation level to avoid frustrating the local ownership., Community-driven water projects stand a better chance for sustainability and of improving the welfare of the target communities. Beneficiaries who participated in EIA process were sensitised enough to show early indicators of transformation to good environmental stewards. The study further recommends that future comparative study of Kisayani Water Project with similar water project in the region be conducted.