Save Every Drop Challenge: GEAF Ambassador Susan Njoki Maina, shares traditional water conservation practices by community members of Lake Olbolosat, in this Q&A segment

Can you describe one traditional or locally practiced water conservation method or community practice that helps protect Lake Olbolosat and its surrounding water resources?

Over the years, communities around Lake Olbolosat in their quest for survival, have engaged in deforestation of surrounding forests. This has in turn resulted in habitat degradation, decreased biodiversity and reduced water levels in the lake. In an effort to restore this habitat and protect the fragile ecosystem, different water conservation practices have been adopted by communities. One such practice is the planting of indigenous tree species such as (mikeu, mitarakwa and mitamaiyu). Indigenous trees are low maintenance since they consume less water, handle pests, diseases, and unpredictable weather thereby strengthening ecosystem resilience in the catchment.

How does this practice help conserve water, protect the lake, or strengthen community resilience during the dry season and beyond?

The planting of indigenous trees helps conserve Lake Olbolosat through providing a cover that reduces the impact of rain droplets which reduces soil erosion and siltation of the lake. Secondly, trees and their root systems regulate water flow into the lake by slowing down surface runoff, allowing more rainwater to soak into the ground and reducing flash flooding and helps recharge groundwater. Lastly indigenous trees support biodiversity around the lake ecosystem by providing food and a habitat where they thrive therefore contributing to an improved ecosystem. These initiatives are complemented by formation of local community forest associations that controls entry and exploitation of forests resources in the neighborhood.

What message would you like to share with people around the world about protecting freshwater ecosystems and adopting sustainable water-use practices in their own communities?

"Freshwater ecosystems are invaluable in the functioning of healthy ecosystems. With the increasing pressures from climate change and anthropogenic activities, the proper management of these invaluable ecosystems is growing in importance. Having local communities champion sustainable water management in their communities through local knowledge and practices has proven to be successful in driving meaningful change and achieving water conservation goals. Continued empowerment and support of these initiatives by government, nongovernmental institutions and other actors is required to ensure sustainability of these initiatives. Documentation of these practices is important as one way of passing down this local knowledge to future generations."