survey of the irrigation potential of the lower tana river basin kenya

1.1 Origin of the Project
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INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
The need to develop the irrigation potential of the lower Tana river in the
Republic of Kenya has long been recognized by the Government. Certain investigations
had already been carried out prior to the inception of this project. For example,
a detailed study of the water resource potential of the upper catchments of the river
for both irrigation and hydro-electrio power development had been carried out by
Messrs. Alexander Gibb and Partners. The middle Tana had been investigated by
Messrs. Balfour Beatty, consultants as to the potential of this section for hydroelectric
power development.
The lower Tana, with its extensive areas of desert soil lying close to a good
source of irrigation water, appears to be a natural region for agricultural development
and for settling surplus peasant population from densely populated areas in
other parts of Kenya. Any large-soale development of this region would involve
investigations of storage sites and water requirements in the upper portions of the
oatchment. Therefore, for the purposes of this project it was neoessary to consider
the entire oatchment as one hydrological unit in planning development of the lower
portion for irrigation.
The Governing Council of the United Nations Special Fund - ' agreed to a request
by the Government for assistance in the Tana basin studies, at its May 1962 session.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, appointed as the
executing agenoy, in turn appointed as co-operating consultants the Consortium of
International Land Development Consultants, N.V., of Arnhem, the Netherlands, and
Acres International Limited, of Niagara Falls, Canada. The Government appointed its
Ministry of Land Settlement and Water Development as the Government Counterpart
Agency. The UNSF authorized operations to commenoe in June 1963; the project became
operational on 4 August 1963 and oonoluded in August 1966.
l/ Assistance to the projeot was provided by the United Nations Speoial Fund
until January I966. On that date the Speoial Fund and the Expanded Programme
of Technical Assistance were merged into the United Nations Development
Programme which continued to provide assistance to this projeot.