TITLE:
Mitigating Climate Change Effects on Hydrology through Participatory Sub-Catchment Management Planning: Case of Bwathonaro, Meru County, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Chris A. Shisanya
KEYWORDS:
Bwathonaro, Climate Change, Hydrology, Kenya, Sub-Catchment Management Planning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.2,
February
28,
2022
ABSTRACT: Management of water resources is very critical in the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular, Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation). Within the Kenyan context, a sub-catchment management plan (SCMP), is crucial as a planning tool involving management, use, development, conservation, protection and control of water resources at the local level. As such, its formulation and implementation is very important for the operationalization of Kenya Water Act 2016. Using field data, and participatory research appraisal (PRA) methodologies, the objective of this paper is to demonstrate using the case study of Bwathonaro how SCMP can be used to address the effects of climate change on hydrology at the local level. The paper recommends that local level institutions like the Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) should be supported by County Governments in Kenya to implement their respective SCMP, which would go a long way in addressing the local level sectoral effects of global climate change.