Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (PAND)

Managing Institute:
International Christian Relief

Project Code: 031-680-051	Start Date: 01-Apr-92	End Date: 01-Mar-95
Commitment: £130 439	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - JFS

Project Background:
Marsabit District has been described as one of the harshest regions in East Africa exploited by man. It is an area arid in the extreme, subject to droughts and other natural calamities. The ecosytems of Marsabit are delicate and their proper management is of critical importance to the nomadic pastoralist peoples who subsist by maintaining herds of camel, cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. Survival is becoming increasingly difficult for these pastoralists as growing populations place greater pressure on limited natural resources, such as grasslands, water sources and forest reserves. Signs of human pressures outgrowing the biological resource base of the area include: deforestation in the highland areas over-grazing in the lowland range areas and reduction of life's diversity in all ecological zones. Natural resources, and for pastoralists particularly water, are inter-related with all aspects of life. Thus ecological deterioriation affects gains in other fields as well, such as health and hygiene, economic development, livestock development, range management, and town planning.

Project Objectives:
The objectives of the project are: 1. Improved human health and hygiene at several locations due to improved water quality - a. Rehabilitate three hand dug wells near Illaut trading centre and install three Afridev handpumps at each well b. Rehabilitate three boreholes near Korr town and install three Afridev handpumps at each borehole c. Rehabilitate the Ngurunit gravity-flow pipeline which serves Ngurunit trading centre d. Install two water tanks at Ngurunit Primary School e. Increase the output of the gravity-flow pipeline which serves Gatab town. 2) To improve Rangelands through provision of additional animal watering sources in outlying grazing areas - Construct rainwater catchment dams at these important grazing areas - Manyatta, Jillo, Komboi, and Dirib Gombo. 3) To reduce Migration to Marsabit Town by improving water sources for humans, thus quality of life in four trading communities in outlying areas - Improve the quality of life in outlying trading centres and towns through provision of more and cleaner sources of water for human consumption. 4. To conserve Marsabit Forest Reserves on Marsabit Mountain by encouraging schools to reduce consumption of trees for fuelwood - Install fuelwood saving Bellerive stoves in all schools on Marsabit Mountain. Marsabit schools, which still prepare school meals on open fires, are a major consumer of Marsabit forest reserves Offer Cooking to Conserve and other environmental seminars to school teachers from Marsabit schools and provide environment information materials to schools Construct the three rainwater catchment dams on the lower slopes of Mount Marsabit to reduce grazing at higher altitudes which promotes destruction of the forest reserves. 5. To improve settlement patterns of Marsabit Mountain - Rehabilitate the marsabit town water supply, including laying additional distribution lines to the outskirts of town Improve grazing and water supplies on the lower slopes of the mountain to discourage overpopulation in the town centre and encroachment on the forest edges.

Intended Outputs:
Rehabilitated three hand dug wells near Illaut trading centre, and installed three Afridev handpumps at each well.

Rehabilitated three boreholes near Korr town and installed three Afrivdev handpumps at each borehole.

Rehabilitated the Ngurunit gravity-flow pipeline which serves Ngurunit trading centre.

Installed two water tanks at Ngurunit Primary School

Increased the output of the gravity-flow pipeline which serves Gatab town.

Contructed rainwater catchment dams at three important grazing areas.

Improved the quality of life in outlying trading centres and towns through provision of more and cleaner sources of water for human consumption.

Installed fuelwood-saving Bellerive stoves in all schools on Marsabit Mountain. (Marsabit schools, which still prepare school meals on open fires, are a major consumer of Marsabit forest reserves.)

Environmental awareness raised through "Cooking to Conserve" environmental seminars, plus environment information materials for school teachers from Marsabit schools.

Constructed three rainwater catchment dams on the lower slopes of Mount Marsabit to reduce grazing at higher altitudes which promotes destruction of the forest reserves.

Rehabilitated Marsabit town water supply; additional distribution lines to the outskirts of the town installed.

Impoved grazing and water supplies on the lower slopes of the mountain to discourage over-population in the town centre and encroachment on the forest edges.