10 Years of Upper Tana Investments Boost Nairobi’s Water Security
By Kass Digital | NAIROBI,
A decade of investment in the Upper Tana watershed has strengthened water security for millions of residents in Nairobi by improving water quality, stabilising river flows and increasing dry-season supply.
The Upper Tana–Nairobi Water Fund Trust said its 10-year programme has reduced sediment flowing into rivers and restored degraded landscapes through nature-based solutions aimed at protecting the city’s main water source.
The Upper Tana River provides about 95 percent of the water used by Nairobi’s estimated 4.8 million residents and supports another five million people living in the basin.
According to the Trust, the initiative has delivered more than 27 million litres of additional water daily during the dry season, while improving water quality and reducing sedimentation that affects treatment plants.
Speaking during the 10th anniversary celebrations, Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Festus K. Ng’eno said the programme demonstrates the value of partnerships in protecting Kenya’s water resources.
“As pressures on Kenya’s water towers increase due to population growth, land use change and climate impacts, sustained investment is essential. The Water Fund model delivers strong returns through reduced water treatment costs, improved water quality and long term ecosystem resilience. The Ministry calls on development partners, private sector actors, climate funds and local philanthropies to scale investment and replicate this model across Kenya’s water towers,” said Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno, CBS, Principal Secretary, State Department for Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.
Over the past decade, more than 470,000 acres of farms and forests and 980 kilometres of rivers have been placed under improved management. The programme has also helped over 260,000 farmers adopt climate-resilient land practices, including the construction of 17,000 water pans that harvest more than two billion litres of rainwater annually.
The project was launched in 2015 by The Nature Conservancy as Africa’s first water fund designed to protect water sources through upstream conservation.
Regional Managing Director for Africa at The Nature Conservancy Ademola Ajagbe said the results highlight how protecting water sources can support rapidly growing cities.
“The Upper Tana shows that when you protect water at the source, the impact is immediate and measurable. Cleaner water for Nairobi, stronger dry-season flows, and better incomes for the farmers who make this work possible. After ten years, the results speak for themselves. With sediment down by more than 40 percent, more than 260,000 farmers improving their land, and billions of litres of water harvested upstream each year, this model is delivering what growing African cities need reliable, affordable water in a changing climate.” Ademola Ajagbe, Regional Managing Director, Africa, The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Officials say partners are now calling for increased investment and stronger collaboration to expand the water-fund model to other cities across Kenya.
