Page 76 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

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RIVER DAUA

Lifeline of the Horn of Africa

‘The river’s waters is shared by communities in
Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and has potential to
transform socio-economic status of the riparian
basin, control floods, boost irrigation, attract
tourism and Hydro-power production. We appeal
to the international community to support the
construction of a multi-purpose dam’
- Governor Ali Roba

andera County is arid and semi-arid • River Daua water is used by communities in through the implementation of appropriate ad-
characterized by low-lying rocky hills Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. aptation and mitigation interventions that shall
Mlocated on plains that rise gradually • The middle and lower areas traversed by the progressively sustain, conserve , and protect
between 400 to 970 meters above sea level. river characterised by frequent droughts and the river daua watershed.
The rest of topography is low-lying, with dense floods. • The River Daua river watershed lies in a semi-
vegetation of savannah-type thorny shrubs. • These climate extremes impact negatively arid region characterised by unreliable rainfall,
The flat plains make drainage poor, causing on the region’s socio-economic development hence the river waters are vital for cultivation,
floods during heavy rains. whose economy depend mainly on livestock livestock rearing, domestic use and industrial
and rain-fed agriculture. development of the three riparian states.
• Major flooding in Mandera County is mostly • The River Daua watershed has immense op- • For sustainable management and utilization
attributed to River Daua that covers a distance portunities for irrigation, rain water harvesting, of these resources, Kenya needs to cooperate
of approximately 150km along Kenya’s border recreation parks, cottage industries, tanneries, with its riparian partners.
with Ethiopia. livestock trade, mining industries, pastoralism, To reduce the vulnerability of agro-pastoral
• River Daua is trans-boundary with its source urbanization and human resources . communities to negative impacts of droughts
is the Ethiopian highands flowing eastwards • The primary focus of the proposed plans is and floods, several interventions are proposed:
along the Kenya-Ethiopia border through Mal- to reduce vulnerability of the local communities Mandera County Government and National Irri-
kamari into Somalia at Border Point One (BP1). to the negative impacts of droughts and floods gation Board conducted a study to identify and
• The River Daua basin trhat is shared between
Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, spans an area of The River Daua watershed has immense opportunities for irrigation, rain
about 60,106 km .
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• About 9,119 km of the basin area lies in Man- water harvesting, recreation parks, cottage industries, tanneries, livestock
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dera County, Kenya. trade, mining industries, pastoralism, urbanization and human resources