WWF SAF Mara River Basin Project Proposal

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WWF Annual Plan 2007 – Mara River Basin Management Initiative EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Proposal is part of the approved three years document for the Mara River Basin Management Initiative, Kenya and Tanzania (“the Project”) submitted to the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) for funding. WWF-Norway contributes with matching funds. The four years second phase of the Mara River Basin Management Initiative (MRBMI) started in January 2006 and will end in December 2009. This is in line with the recommendations of an evaluation of the Project conducted in May–June 2005. The second phase will consolidate Norad/WWF Norway’s investments in the past three years (2003–2005) and continue to facilitate a system for integrated water resources management. The USAID Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT) and USAID East Africa also contribute funds to the MRBMI in 2007. One common work plan is prepared for MRBMI, indicating which source of funding supports each activity. Background Detailed background information on the Mara River Basin was provided in the proposal submitted to Norad in October 2002 and subsequent annual plans as well as the main text of this proposal. During 2005 WWF commissioned an evaluation of the MRBMI, which concluded that the MRBMI has made significant contributions to the sustainable management of the Mara River Basin that also had attracted the interest of other donors. The evaluation observed that the Project is highly relevant in view of the major threats both to the Mara River and its tributaries, and to the tourist industry in the National Park (Serengeti, Tanzania) and National Reserve (Masai Mara, Kenya) that largely depends on the River. In terms of project progress the evaluation team considered the principal achievements of the Project to be: i. The lobbying of political leaders for the protection of the remaining forest in the upper catchment (Mau Forest) in Kenya, the source for the Mara River; ii. iii. iv. The facilitation of the Mara River Water Users’ Association (MRWUA), a large and representative forum for discussion on water and related issues in the Kenyan part of the Mara River Basin. Facilitation of about 20 local level water users’ associations in Tanzania; Successful lobbying of civic leaders leading to a proposed sewage treatment plant in Bomet Town. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation has prioritized this project as one of the investment projects under the NBI NELSAP Mara River IWRM project; and The fact that the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in Kenya perceives the MRBMI as a pilot project for implementing the new water sector legislation and institutional framework. WWF is working through its Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office (WWF EARPO) and with financial support from Norad/WWF-Norway and USAID, to create the enabling conditions for integrated water resources management (IWRM) and to facilitate the efforts of responsible government agencies, other partners and stakeholders to implement IWRM. The main achievements of the MRBMI in 2006 are grouped into three areas as follows: i. Coordination of WWF and other key Stakeholders Initiatives An evaluation in June 2005 pointed out lack of coherence in the activities of the Project in Kenya and Tanzania, and also with other actors in the Basin including the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) and the East Africa Community (EAC). The Project has continued efforts to engage other initiatives and followed up on this recommendation by instituting remedial measures including recruitment of two more staff and strategic engagement with the EAC and NELSAP. Two key personnel, a Policy Officer and a Regional Mara River Basin Coordinator were recruited to assist the coordination and management of WWF’s initiatives and other initiatives within Mara River Basin. Different projects plans funded by Norad/WWF-Norway and USAID were integrated into one Mara River Basin Management Initiative to create more complementarities and synergy. WWF SAF Zambezi Chobe fisheries 011006 - main text.doc 2006-10-01 Page ii
WWF Annual Plan 2007 – Mara River Basin Management Initiative The MRBMI also undertook further consultation with East African Community / Lake Victoria Basin Commission, District officials, Water Authority Officers both in Tanzania and Kenya on the sustainable management of Mara River. Substantial efforts were made towards collaboration with Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) in the management of Mara River Basin. One of the milestones was on sharing of information and clearly defined areas of collaboration and modalities. Major progress has been made recently, in particular in terms of information sharing. Efforts towards management of the Mara River Basin as a transboundary ecosystem shared by the United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Kenya have started. The Mara River Basin Management initiative provided support to EAC to organise and host a successful regional workshop in Arusha, Tanzania, between 19 th and 20 th April, 2006. The outputs of the workshops included proposals for national and regional stakeholders’ coordination mechanisms, regional institutions here including MRBMI Technical committee, Water User Forum Steering committee to oversee the implementation and build synergies within Mara River Basin Initiatives, and to avoid duplications. ii. Conserving Mara River Basin and ecoregion A number of studies have shown that the single largest threat to biodiversity in the Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park is lack of sufficient quantity of water of good quality. Mara River is the most reliable source of water for these two protected areas and the fluctuations in the river flow have significant impact on biodiversity, particularly the large herbivores. The world famous annual migration of wildebeest and other herbivores is heavily influenced by changes in water quantity (availability). Water quantity (level) and quality monitoring was carried out in 15 stations as planned in both Tanzania and Kenya. Two gauging stations were rehabilitated and other 13 stations serviced and maintained. The Ministries of water in Tanzania and Kenya were facilitated to collect and analyse water quality samples from 15 baseline monitoring stations established on the Mara River and its major tributaries. Photo: Water quality sampling point in the Mara River. WWF EARPO organised a planning workshop on Environmental Flows Assessment (EFA) with participation of different experts in hydrology, riparian vegetation, fish, aquatic invertebrates, socio-economics, hydraulics, ecology and geomorphology. The workshop came up with a common method of data collection to determine the amount of water needed to maintain the ecology of the river and the great Mara-Serengeti ecoregion. Data collection will be done within 8 months, and data analysis will be completed by February 2007. WWF SAF Zambezi Chobe fisheries 011006 - main text.doc 2006-10-01 Page iii
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WWF SAF Mara River Basin Project Proposal

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