Ewaso Ng Iro Watershed - 1367 Words

Ewaso Ng’iro watershed is a catchment of water that stretches from the west side of Mount Kenya and across seven arid to semi arid landscapes (Said et al. 13). The catchment is characterized by vastly different physiographic features and species and has become a fundamental component to the survival of the wildlife, as well as the expansion of human population and socio-economic developments. Water, the limited land resource provided by the Ewaso Ng’iro watershed is unevenly distributed throughout the higher and lower regions of the catchment due to the large percentage necessary to maintain agricultural practices (Mutiga, Su, and Woldai 3). The ecosystems within the Ewaso Ng’iro watershed have been manipulated to such a degree that†¦show more content†¦5). The tributaries that drain into the catchment have progressively began to dry up, particularly throughout the dry seasons (Mutiga, Su, and Woldai 102). Climate change is a major contributor to such ph enomenon, as the process of evapotranspiration has __________. Other changes such as â€Å"unreliable rainfall patterns and quantities and decreasing discharge during the low flow periods† also have significant impacts on all aspects of the Ewaso Ng’iro watershed (Aeschbacher, Liniger and Weingartner 155,156). The water catchment lies predominantly through arid to semi arid landscapes where the annual levels of rainfall and precipitation have seemingly decreased over the years (Mutiga, Su, and Woldai 102). As uneven water distribution has become a complex issue, the ability to support the ecosystem’s vegetation and wildlife will decrease, and human populations and developments will faced with ongoing sustainability challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY The Ewaso Ng’iro watershed stretches over a diverse variety of ecosystems from the high regions of Mount Kenya to the lower arid to semi arid regions of land. Each ecosystem delivers a unique contribution to the land and people of Kenya as they interact with one another to achieve a sustainable equilibrium. The wetland ecosystems which are located in the higher regions of Mount Kenya