STRATEGIES FOR INTEGRATED LAND AND WATER MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS IN KATUK ODEYO SUB WATERSHED

Abstract

The Katuk-Odeyo Sub-Watershed lies in Nyando river basin zone and is characterized by active erosion, gully development and acute water shortage. Poverty levels are high and agricultural production is low. Most people rely primarily on subsistence agricultural and pastoral production for their livelihood. The main economic activities for the people who live in the sub basin are subsistence agriculture, livestock production, and small-scale commodity exchange. This strategy document sets out to address the constraints and options for integrated land and water management for sustainable livelihoods in the Katuk Odeyo sub watershed. Previous efforts have focused on assessments and recommendations for interventions at the Nyando river basin scale. However, this strategy provides a concise synthesis that would lead to recommendations and interventions at a more localized and community specific scale. To this extent the approach of this strategy is novel. Katuk Odeyo sub watershed, with a span of 20 km2 has a high concentration of surface runoff mainly from Belgut hills in Kericho, which results into massive soil erosion and formation of deep gullies downstream. Further, the area suffers serious water shortage during the dry season due to lack of adequate and appropriate water harnessing mechanisms. There are various recommended strategies, including, stone terracing to end soil erosion, rehabilitation of the existing cut-off drains to divert excess surface and subsurface runoff, desilting and construction of water pans for impounding water for irrigation and livestock consumption as well as controlling the water flow that accelerates gully formation, roof water harvesting, semicircular bunds and fencing off the dams and gullies to limit livestock and human activities. To sustain the effort, community participation is crucial and introduction of community owned by-laws to protect the various management strategies. Weak local institutions, low crop and livestock production poor infrastructural development and the HIV/AIDS menace reinforce cycles of poverty constraining investment in natural resource management. Despite these challenges, huge potential exists for enhanced food security and improved livelihoods, if the target communities adopt appropriate technologies in soil fertility vi improvement, soil and water management option, promotion of appropriate food security crops and improved livestock breeds and management, and the promotion of small scale irrigated horticultural production around water pans. The exploitation of opportunities for income generation such as beekeeping, dairy goat development etc will expand livelihood options and facilitate investment in Natural Resource Management. In addition, value addition through the preservation and processing of crop and livestock products will increase household income and enhance market penetration Lower Nyando basin is characterized by low and unreliable rainfall, massive environmental degradation, and scarcities of fuel wood, timber and dry season fodder. Agroforestry technologies hold considerable promise for alleviating three critical problems facing this region rural poverty, natural resource conservation and sustainable development. Agroforestry- options (woodlots for timber, fuel wood, fruit tree production, nurseries, fodder banks, improved fallows) have been proposed as interventions with a big potential to address most of the problems identified above.