210
D. O. Olago et al.
in the development of fit-for-purpose sustainable management plans specific to each
lake basin, in order to build holistic management of the lake basin and to manage
conflicts of interest.
Institutions: Cross-sectoral coordination suffers from fragmentation of the
many governmental and non-governmental institutions and agencies which adopt
sectorally-oriented approaches to water and catchment management. This is
compounded by the existence of multiple jurisdictions even within a single catchment. An institutional framework should be developed at the national and/or lake
basin level that ensures that all relevant institutions work in a coordinated and
effective manner under their various mandates to address specific issues related to
the management of the lakes and basins within their jurisdictions. An established,
credible institutional framework can also serve as an entry point for donor-funded
programs to minimize duplication and enhance synergies and value for money.
Public participation: The requirement to enable participation of the public is
firmly anchored in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and offers to the communities
and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) an opportunity to better coordinate and
effectively participate in environmental education, conservation, and management,
and to reduce the duplication of effort which is currently prevalent in many of the
lake basins.
Technology: Pollution from sewage and effluent treatment systems, solid waste,
old and inefficient technologies, and unsustainable land use and management practices can be managed in part by the adoption of green technologies and approaches.
The Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan 2015 (Republic of
Kenya 2015) provides an ideal entry point under its thematic Area 3: Sustainable
Natural Resource Management which focuses on the economy-environment nexus
to optimize the contribution of Kenya’s natural resources to the economy, industrialization, and livelihoods, while responsibly and effectively managing and conserving
the country’s natural capital.
Knowledge and information: There has been a long-term decline in environmental (e.g., Mogaka et al. 2005) and poverty (REACH 2015) monitoring in the
country, though we recognize that agencies such as the Water Resources Authority
are revamping their monitoring systems. Partial/incomplete, irregular, and often lowquality data provide insufficient scientific evidence for decision-making and management. It is, therefore, important to encourage relevant agencies to build the capacity
to generate programs focused on carefully selected indicators of specific lake basin
characteristics, using climatic, environmental, and socioeconomic data through costeffective and sustained monitoring. These resources must be stored, analyzed, shared,
and used to guide decision-making in the short- to long-term.
Finance: Lake-focused programs receive very little funding from national and
county budgets. In addition, many programs are donor-driven and are, therefore, of
short- to medium-term duration, often lacking the time needed to create the enduring
infrastructure necessary for lasting impact. Revenues from existing levies, e.g., water
use fees, fishing licenses, and tourism access fees, are not an adequate supplement to
effectively support basin management activities. It is, therefore, critical to mobilize
resources to create a shared commitment and implement sustainable management
D. O. Olago et al.
in the development of fit-for-purpose sustainable management plans specific to each
lake basin, in order to build holistic management of the lake basin and to manage
conflicts of interest.
Institutions: Cross-sectoral coordination suffers from fragmentation of the
many governmental and non-governmental institutions and agencies which adopt
sectorally-oriented approaches to water and catchment management. This is
compounded by the existence of multiple jurisdictions even within a single catchment. An institutional framework should be developed at the national and/or lake
basin level that ensures that all relevant institutions work in a coordinated and
effective manner under their various mandates to address specific issues related to
the management of the lakes and basins within their jurisdictions. An established,
credible institutional framework can also serve as an entry point for donor-funded
programs to minimize duplication and enhance synergies and value for money.
Public participation: The requirement to enable participation of the public is
firmly anchored in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and offers to the communities
and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) an opportunity to better coordinate and
effectively participate in environmental education, conservation, and management,
and to reduce the duplication of effort which is currently prevalent in many of the
lake basins.
Technology: Pollution from sewage and effluent treatment systems, solid waste,
old and inefficient technologies, and unsustainable land use and management practices can be managed in part by the adoption of green technologies and approaches.
The Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan 2015 (Republic of
Kenya 2015) provides an ideal entry point under its thematic Area 3: Sustainable
Natural Resource Management which focuses on the economy-environment nexus
to optimize the contribution of Kenya’s natural resources to the economy, industrialization, and livelihoods, while responsibly and effectively managing and conserving
the country’s natural capital.
Knowledge and information: There has been a long-term decline in environmental (e.g., Mogaka et al. 2005) and poverty (REACH 2015) monitoring in the
country, though we recognize that agencies such as the Water Resources Authority
are revamping their monitoring systems. Partial/incomplete, irregular, and often lowquality data provide insufficient scientific evidence for decision-making and management. It is, therefore, important to encourage relevant agencies to build the capacity
to generate programs focused on carefully selected indicators of specific lake basin
characteristics, using climatic, environmental, and socioeconomic data through costeffective and sustained monitoring. These resources must be stored, analyzed, shared,
and used to guide decision-making in the short- to long-term.
Finance: Lake-focused programs receive very little funding from national and
county budgets. In addition, many programs are donor-driven and are, therefore, of
short- to medium-term duration, often lacking the time needed to create the enduring
infrastructure necessary for lasting impact. Revenues from existing levies, e.g., water
use fees, fishing licenses, and tourism access fees, are not an adequate supplement to
effectively support basin management activities. It is, therefore, critical to mobilize
resources to create a shared commitment and implement sustainable management