Water Resource Management and Sustainability in Kipkelion West Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Indisputably, water is an important resource. On the other hand, sustainable water resource management forms part of the key global development concerns. The present study, therefore, sought to establish sustainable measures used in the management of water resources in Kipkelion West Sub-County, Kenya. The descriptive research design was used in this study. A total of 394 households were surveyed together with interviewing 10 key informants within Kipkelion West Sub-County. The descriptive research design was used in this study. Findings from the present study revealed that for, household use, most residents sourced their water from rivers and streams at 35%, rainwater collection at 25%, springs at 22%, piped water at 11%, water vendors and boreholes at 3% and finally ponds and dams sharing 1%. In addition, most households do not incur any direct financial charges when sourcing for water. It was further pinpointed that negative indicators affected the sustainability of the water resources in Kipkelion West Sub-County and the manner in which the residents manage the available resources. Taken together, stakeholders in water resource management work independent of each other with occasional collective efforts.

Unseen barrier of water risks to sustainable consumption and production in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES) in Kenya

“…The fruit and vegetable sector is the most water intensive sector in the MSMEs which require huge amounts of water for their production thereby unreliable water supply would ground their operations if not addressed as evidenced in table 1. Close to 90% reduction in fresh water demand might be achieved through reusing process waste water after treating in some specific process operations during food processing which serves as a mitigation strategy for water risks (Doreen et al, 2020;Lukman et al, 2016;Olmez, 2014). sustainable consumption and production principles are to be taken up.…”

“…The demand for ecosystem services goes beyond what the planet can provide, notwithstanding human activities in various domains that profoundly alter the underlying earth systems where water is sourced which further impact the water supply and availaibility (Li et al, 2019;Lukman et al, 2016). Based on these sustainability challenges more emphasis is placed on the need to better understand consumption patterns so as to shape the societal sustainability transition in MSMEs on the issue of water in its management and governance (Akenji et al, 2015;Doreen et al, 2020). Addressing this unseen barrier to MSMEs will require water efficiency models that ensure there is sustainable consumption in their production and mitigate the costs water risks have on their business viability by creating alternatives and embracing circular economies (Abisuga-Oyekunle et al, 2020;Chini and Stillwell, 2020).…”

“…With Brundtland Report publication, production processes and consumption patterns towards sustainability have improved in MSMEs adopting these sustainable practices which highlight sustainability and circular natures with zero waste (Doreen et al, 2020;Govindan, 2018). Increasingly, there are growing examples of achieving eco-efficiency in water systems (including urban), which further require economic incentives and governmental support, and practical experiences by MSMEs to mitigate the unseen barrier of water risk, more so enhancing circular economy (Chini and Stillwell, 2020;Murphy, 2013;Wang et al, 2017;World Bank, 2020).…”

“…The consequences of increase on water crisis has led to water stress where the current restricted rates of water use and consumption, are unsustainable and explicating the risk index water has on profit margins and sustainability (Doreen et al, 2020;Ondigo et al, 2018). Water demands and supplies are changing denoting their unseen nature in becoming a barrier to sustainable consumption by MSMEs in Kenya (Cosgrove and Loucks, 2015;Ondigo et al, 2018;Osano, 2019).…”