Climate Change and Water Resources Management

P r o f. E n g . E m m an u e l C . K i p k o ri r
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Moi University
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering,

16TH INTERNATIONAL MULTI-DISCIPLINARY VIRTUAL

CONFERENCE
THEME :Climate change: Impacts and Responses
MASINDE MULIRO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
WEDNESDAY, 14th – FRIDAY, 16th JUNE 2023
Introduction
Climate change is primarily a water crisis.
We feel its impacts through worsening floods, rising sea levels, shrinking
ice fields, wildfires and droughts.
However, sustainable water management can fight climate change.
Sustainable water resources management is central to building
resilience of societies and ecosystems and reducing carbon emissions.
Everyone has a role to play – actions at the individual and household
levels are vital.
Hydrological cycle
Land use changes, mostly induced by
human activities
Affect hydrological processes in
many ways such as:
evapotranspiration (ET),
interception,
infiltration, and
surface runoff

Resulting in alterations of surface

subsurface flows and ground water
recharge
 Impacts of climate change on Hydrological
cycle
Water and climate change are
inextricably linked.
Extreme weather events are making
water :
more scarce,
more unpredictable,
more polluted or all the three.

These impacts throughout the
hydrological cycle threaten:
sustainable development,
biodiversity, and
people’s access to water and sanitation. 
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6344e.pdf
 Water and climate change
Flooding and rising sea levels can contaminate land and water resources with
saltwater or faecal matter, and cause damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, such
as water points, wells, toilets and wastewater treatment facilities.
Droughts and wildfires are destabilizing communities and triggering civil unrest and
migration in many areas.
Destruction of vegetation and tree cover exacerbates soil erosion and reduces groundwater recharge,
increasing water scarcity and food insecurity.

Growing demand for water increases the need for energy-intensive water pumping,
transportation, and treatment.
Water-intensive agriculture for food production, particularly meat and rice, and for growing crops used as
biofuels, can further exacerbate water scarcity.
Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Adopting climate-smart agriculture: using conservation techniques to improve organic matter to increase soil moisture
retention; conservation tillage; timing sowing based on onset of rains, drip irrigation; reducing post-harvest losses and food
waste; and transforming waste into a source of nutrients or biofuels/biogas.

Harvesting rainwater: rainwater capture is particularly useful in regions with highly variable rainfall distribution to build
resilience to shocks and ensure supplies for dry periods. Techniques include rooftop capture for small-scale use; in situ
rainwater harvesting using biochar, water pans and surface dams to slow run-off, reduce soil erosion and increase aquifer
recharge.

Reusing treated wastewater: unconventional water resources, such as regulated treated wastewater, can be used for irrigation
and industrial and municipal purposes. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy,
nutrients and other recoverable materials.

Catchment conservation and harnessing groundwater: in many places, groundwater is over-used and polluted; in other
places, it is an unknown quantity. Exploring, protecting and sustainably using groundwater is central to adapting to climate
change and meeting the needs of a growing population.
Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Adopting climate-smart
agriculture:
adopting conservation
tillage and early or normal
sowing dates
to improve organic matter
and,
Bar graph indicating obtained mean wheat grain yield (ton/ha) among the varied sowing
 increase soil moisture onsets in zero (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT). The red line indicates the plant breeders
target yield of 8.50 ton/ha
retention Reference: Mutonga, M.W., Sain, C., Kipkorir, E.C. and Ng'etich, W.K. 2019. Assessment of Effects of Zero
and Conventional Tillage Practices on Soil Moisture and Wheat Grain Yield in Arid and Semi-Arid Land of
Laikipia, Kenya, Water Conservation Science and Engineering, ISSN 2366-3340 (Electronic)
Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Adopting climate-smart
agriculture:
Drip irrigation and
applying mulching;
Irrigation scheduling: how
• Tuber yields were 3.2 ton/ha higher in mulched plots compared to
much and when to apply plain field due to straw mulch for full supply treatments
• Application of straw mulch contributed to better potato growth
yields due to moisture retention, crop water productivity, improved
soil temperatures and addition of organic matter.
Reference: Kiptoo S., Kipkorir E.C. and Kiptum C. K. 2018. Effects of Deficit Irrigation and Mulch on
Yield and Quality of Potato Crop, African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 4(4): 65-77.
Drip irrigation system
Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Harvesting rainwater
techniques include:
 rooftop catchment
 rock catchment rooftop catchment

 ground catchment
 check and sand dams
dams – surface reservoirs
rock catchment

Water pan – ground catchment

Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Harvesting rainwater techniques include: Biochar production through thermal decomposition
in situ rainwater harvesting using biochar Waste (eg maize cobs) pyrolysis Biochar
biochar added to soil has direct and indirect
effects on retention of water in the soil,
direct effect is related to its large internal surface
area and the high amount of residual pores, where
water is retained by capillarity.
enhanced crop yields— improves plant growth,
increasing food production and sustainability in
areas with depleted soils, limited organic
resources, insufficient water and/or access to
agrochemical fertilizers.
 Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:

Reusing treated
wastewater:
regulated treated wastewater
used for irrigation purposes - Shift to ……

closed loop.
safely managed wastewater
(circular flow ) is an affordable
and sustainable source of:
water,
Linear flows – “flush and discharge” Circular flow – “sanitise and reuse”
energy,
nutrients and
other recoverable materials
 Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Catchment conservation:
Terracing and planting of strips of tea plantations on
agricultural land with slopes ≥ 25%
This areas are mapped and located on the red zones

Yield Runoff Groundwater

Scenario s simulated (mm) (mm) Recharge (mm)
25% of bushes converted into forest 326.00 288.15 131.53
50% of bushes converted into forest 326.46 288.91 131.54
100% of bushes converted into 326.77 289.07 131.78
forest
10% of agricultural land converted 325.19 282.39 138.30
into forest
Terracing and the planting of strips
of tea plantations on agricultural 319.90 246.82 165.61 Kibii, J.K., Kipkorir, E.C., Kosgei, J.R. 2021. Application of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to
lands with slopes ≥ 25% Evaluate the Impact of Land Use and Climate Variability on the Kaptagat Catchment River Discharge.
Sustainability, 13(4): 1802. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041802.
Sustainable, Affordable and Scalable Agricultural
Water Management Solutions include:
Harnessing groundwater:
exploring, protecting and
sustainably using groundwater
central to adapting to climate
change, and
meeting the needs of a growing
population.
 The Way Forward
Climate policymakers must put water at the heart of action plans
Sustainable water management helps society adapt to climate change by building resilience, protecting health and
saving lives.
It also mitigates climate change itself by protecting ecosystems and reducing carbon emissions from water and
sanitation transportation and treatment.

Politicians must cooperate across borders to balance the competing water needs of
communities,
industry,
agriculture, and ecosystems.

Innovative financing for water resource management is needed to help

attract investment,
create jobs, and
support governments in fulfilling their water and climate goals.
The End…

Thank You!