Seasonal river management will solve all our problems

Dust road

The sun burns scathingly, dry earth stretches for kilometers along the meandering dirt roads in Kiboko, Kenya. A thick red cloud bellows behind a moving car, leaving frustrated pedestrians chocked and puffed with thick, red dirt. This is the reality in Kiboko, the land that predicts paradise in the rain season and swiftly and unbelievably turns to a dry/hot nightmare after the rains.

Muooni River in April 2014

Seasonal River Management is a pertinent issue that has forever evaded us, the residents of the wider Ukambani community. The Muuoni River carries unbelievable amounts of water in the rain season that, more often than not, overflows into farm area. During the most recent April (2014) rains, I could not walk close to the river edge as it had become extremely marshy short of collapsing. 

Believe it or not, the Muooni’s river bed resembles a sandy super highway today, in the dry season. I take long walks in it, enjoying the subtle, sweet friction between the moist sand and my feet: Free pedicure! :) . At this time, both farmlands and pastures dry up, residents struggle to access water and they turn to sand harvesting as an economic activity in desperation.

Muooni River in
Aug 2014

It is utterly inconceivable that all this water ends up in the Indian Ocean whereas it can be harvested or trapped at strategic points. An average sand dam can store millions of gallons of water per year. Building sand dams is the most economical approach to rehabilitating arid and semi-arid areas as well as improving livelihoods. With labor assistance from the community, a concrete dam can be built across the river. During the rainy season, water collects behind the dam, and brings with it tonnes of sand and silt. Over the course of around three such wet periods, the sand builds up behind the dam. And here is where the beauty of the technology lies, because as well as the sand behind the dam there is also water. In between every grain of sand there is a space, and that space is filled with water.In times of rain and flash flooding, and once the dam is backfilled with sand, the river continues its course over the top of the dam, ensuring that  people living downstream of the dam are still able to use the river, as before. Running through the bottom of the dam is a plastic pipe, with a tap on the end. Community members need only turn the tap on to get clean sand filtered water, year round, on demand. 

Many such projects have been undertaken courtesy of NGOs. It is high time the government incorporated this system in its projects to accelerate the process. This will not only improve livelihoods, but will save lives and the environment as well. Sand dams also have the effect of raising the local water table. This can have miraculous impacts on the potential for local agriculture.

Me on river bed

April 2014 rains

August 2014