Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya

This report examines water availability and usage in Kenya’s Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF), highlighting the role of data-driven tools in sustainable agricultural water management. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has developed the Scale Invariant Water Accounting...

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Autores principales: Owusu, Afua, Matheswaran, Karthikeyan, Velpuri, Naga Manohar, Magesa, R., Schmitter, Petra S.
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Water Management Institute 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173216
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author Owusu, Afua
Matheswaran, Karthikeyan
Velpuri, Naga Manohar
Magesa, R.
Schmitter, Petra S.
author_browse Magesa, R.
Matheswaran, Karthikeyan
Owusu, Afua
Schmitter, Petra S.
Velpuri, Naga Manohar
author_facet Owusu, Afua
Matheswaran, Karthikeyan
Velpuri, Naga Manohar
Magesa, R.
Schmitter, Petra S.
author_sort Owusu, Afua
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This report examines water availability and usage in Kenya’s Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF), highlighting the role of data-driven tools in sustainable agricultural water management. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has developed the Scale Invariant Water Accounting Plus (SIWA+) framework and the Securing Water Use in Agriculture (SWAG) tool to address key water challenges. SIWA+ provides insights into water inflows, outflows, and consumption, aiding policymakers in mitigating water scarcity. SWAG assesses crop water requirements, helping identify water deficits and surpluses to optimize irrigation strategies. Findings reveal significant regional disparities in water availability and usage across the CHEF counties. While Kenya has an average utilizable flow of 21 km³ per year, that of CHEF counties range from 0.06 km³ in Kirinyaga to 1.9 km³ in Isiolo. Isiolo also faces the highest risk of water demand surpassing supply, with a basin closure fraction of 71%, whereas Nyandarua and Nakuru have the lowest risk at 54% and 55%, respectively. Rainfed agriculture dominates CHEF, covering 88% of the cropland, making the region highly susceptible to climate variability. In 2021, the CHEF region experienced a net water deficit of 255 million m³, alongside a 117 million m³ oversupply, highlighting opportunities for localized storage and redistribution to improve water resilience. Future analysis will explore crop-specific comparisons of blue and green water use as well as water oversupply and deficits. This will also incorporate climate change scenarios and land-use planning. The insights gained from this advanced analysis will support crop specific field/farm level water management strategies aimed at enhancing food security in the region.
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spelling CGSpace1732162025-11-24T07:46:50Z Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya Owusu, Afua Matheswaran, Karthikeyan Velpuri, Naga Manohar Magesa, R. Schmitter, Petra S. water availability water use water management water accounting farmland water supply This report examines water availability and usage in Kenya’s Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF), highlighting the role of data-driven tools in sustainable agricultural water management. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has developed the Scale Invariant Water Accounting Plus (SIWA+) framework and the Securing Water Use in Agriculture (SWAG) tool to address key water challenges. SIWA+ provides insights into water inflows, outflows, and consumption, aiding policymakers in mitigating water scarcity. SWAG assesses crop water requirements, helping identify water deficits and surpluses to optimize irrigation strategies. Findings reveal significant regional disparities in water availability and usage across the CHEF counties. While Kenya has an average utilizable flow of 21 km³ per year, that of CHEF counties range from 0.06 km³ in Kirinyaga to 1.9 km³ in Isiolo. Isiolo also faces the highest risk of water demand surpassing supply, with a basin closure fraction of 71%, whereas Nyandarua and Nakuru have the lowest risk at 54% and 55%, respectively. Rainfed agriculture dominates CHEF, covering 88% of the cropland, making the region highly susceptible to climate variability. In 2021, the CHEF region experienced a net water deficit of 255 million m³, alongside a 117 million m³ oversupply, highlighting opportunities for localized storage and redistribution to improve water resilience. Future analysis will explore crop-specific comparisons of blue and green water use as well as water oversupply and deficits. This will also incorporate climate change scenarios and land-use planning. The insights gained from this advanced analysis will support crop specific field/farm level water management strategies aimed at enhancing food security in the region. 2024-12-30 2025-02-19T12:21:18Z 2025-02-19T12:21:18Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173216 en Open Access application/pdf International Water Management Institute CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy Owusu, A.; Matheswaran, K.; Velpuri, N. M.; Magesa, R.; Schmitter, P. 2024. Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy. 25p.
spellingShingle water availability
water use
water management
water accounting
farmland
water supply
Owusu, Afua
Matheswaran, Karthikeyan
Velpuri, Naga Manohar
Magesa, R.
Schmitter, Petra S.
Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title_full Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title_fullStr Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title_short Use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the Central Highland Ecoregions Foodscapes (CHEF) of Kenya
title_sort use case report on scenarios of water availability and use in the central highland ecoregions foodscapes chef of kenya
topic water availability
water use
water management
water accounting
farmland
water supply
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173216
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