9 Jan 2013

KENYA / WATER

More than seven million seedlings have been planted in the water catchment along the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya. Trees hold rainwater in the soil and keep it flowing to small farmers, who can grow more high-value crops like snow peas for export. IFAD

Posted at: January 9, 2013 4:06 pm

Duration: 03:39

Available in: SD, HD

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Full script

STORY: KENYA / WATER
TRT: 3.39
SOURCE: IFAD
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: JUNE 2012, EAST MOUNT KENYA, KENYA

SHOTLIST:

1. Med shot, Christine Mugure Munene approaching workers
2. Wide shot, Christine approaching workers
3. Close up, worker hoeing
4. Close up, hoe
5. Med shot, Christine supervising workers
6. Med shot, sprinkler turning on
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Christine Mugure Munene, Farmer:
"I can do anything because the water is flowing continuously so there's no problem about water."
8. Tilt up, picking up water hose
9. Med shot, man connecting hoses
10. Wide shot, field with sprinkler on
11. Tilt down, Mt Kenya nursery
12. Med shot, people working in nursery
13. Close up, filling bags with soil
14. Tilt up, trees
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Njuguna, Forester, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"When you have trees in a water catchment it ensures that when it rains the water is held into the soil and it joins the river basin slowly and ensures the flow in the rivers."
16. Pan right, people walking to trees with mist
17. Med shot, river 
18. Pan left, logs
19. Wide shot, deforested land
20. Med shot, man and cow in deforested area
21. Med shot, Christine walking with plants
22. Med shot, inspecting stream
23. Zoom out, man clearing stream
24. Close up, clearing stream
25. Wide shot, man clearing stream
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Faith Livingstone, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"They are the owners of the land. They have the title deeds and can do what they want with the land. It was important that the farmers become partners in efforts to conserve the environment and to conserve water resources because they were the users."
27. Wide shot, Kithino Water and River Users Association meeting
28. Med shot, man talking in group
29. Close up, Christine talking in group
30. Med shot, Christine and others in group
31. Close up, man planting tree
32. Med shot, man planting tree
33. Med shot, man planting tree, stream behind
34. Med shot, man measuring stream with water gauge
35. Close up, water level record
36. Med shot, man leaving
37. SOUNDBITE (English) Nestry Ndichu, River Basin Management Officer, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"You can see the vegetation cover has improved. The farmers have changed their way of farming and as well the pollution in the river has lessened and as far as the volumes, the water in the river has improved." 
38. Med shot, Nestry clearing stream
39. Close up, Nestry drinking from stream
40. Med shot, Christine weeding
41. Close up, worker joining hose
42. Pan right, worker to field with sprinkler
43. Med shot, worker with produce walking
44. Pan left, Christine's farm
45. Med shot, Christine shredding plant
46. Close up, shredding
47. SOUNDBITE (English) Christine Mugure Munene, Farmer:
"My plan is to do the introduction of biogas so that we don't cut down trees. We can use that for lighting and everything else."
48. Med shot, Christine feeding cows
49. Close up, cows eating
50. Close up, Christine in front of fire place
51. Med shot, Christine and mother in front of fire place
52. Close up, Christine's mother drinking
53. Med shot, Christine stoking fire to heat tanks on either side
54. Close up, glass on top of heater tank
55. Med shot, Christine's mother at sink washing with hot water
56. Close up, Christine's mother washing, steam rising

STORYLINE:

Christine Mugure Munene farms on the slopes of East Mount Kenya.  Until recently she was dependent on seasonal rains to water her crops. Now she has water whenever she wants…at the turn of a tap.

SOUNDBITE (English) Christine Mugure Munene, Farmer:
"I can do anything because the water is flowing continuously so there's no problem about water."

The water flows, not just because there are now more tubes and pumps to move it along, but because of something even more essential - trees.

Thanks to a pilot project supported by the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development, more than seven million seedlings have been planted in the water catchment along the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya. And it's trees, according to project forester Paul Njuguna, that keep water flowing.

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Njuguna, Forester, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"When you have trees in a water catchment it ensures that when it rains the water is held into the soil and it joins the river basin slowly and ensures the flow in the rivers."

But for nearly four decades, excessive logging and poor farming practices have reduced forest cover by 5,000 hectares, slowing water flow, eroding soil and increasing poverty, particularly for the 80 per cent of Kenyans like Christine who rely on farming to make a living.

Reversing the trend requires changing attitudes and making local farmers responsible for protecting and preserving water resources, says project manager Faith Livingstone.

SOUNDBITE (English) Faith Livingstone, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"They are the owners of the land. They have the title deeds and can do what they want with the land. It was important that the farmers become partners in efforts to conserve the environment and to conserve water resources because they were the users."

One way to involve farmers is to encourage them to form groups to manage water resources.

Christine is a member of the Kithino Water and River Users Association.  Her group teaches other local farmers about good environmental farming practices, and encourages them to plant indigenous varieties of trees along river banks.

The group has also hired local gauge-readers who come twice a day to monitor water levels in area rivers.

SOUNDBITE (English) Nestry Ndichu, River Basin Management Officer, Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management:
"You can see the vegetation cover has improved. The farmers have changed their way of farming and as well the pollution in the river has lessened and as far as the volumes, the water in the river has improved."

This spring, which once served just 480 farmers, now benefits more than 3,000, Christine among them.

With reliable water, she can grow more high-value crops like these snow peas bound for Germany.

And with the profits, she's hired more workers and purchased more land. The original one quarter acre farm her family worked for generations is now three acres, and Christine has plans to expand her operation further.

SOUNDBITE (English) Christine Mugure Munene, Farmer:
"My plan is to do the introduction of biogas so that we don't cut down trees. We can use that for lighting and everything else."
Now, with water flowing, Christine can make changes that will improve her farm, and her life.

One recent innovation is in her kitchen. The water that's been nourishing her crops now fills tanks built into her kitchen fireplace, giving her mother heated water for bathing and cleaning for the first time in life.