Catchment property rights and the case of Kenya's Nyando basin

Attention to watershed management is increasing across the developing world. In India, forexample, more than US$500 million is invested in watershed projects every year. There arecompelling reasons to believe that this interest will continue to grow. Water resources are becomingincreasingly scarce. Tunisia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Algeria, Somalia and Malawi were alreadyconsidered water scarce in 1990; by 2025 they will be joined by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,Morocco, Egypt, Comoros, South Africa and Ethiopia (as measured by the availability of 1 000 m3of renewable water per person per year) (www.cnie.org/pop/pai/water-14.html). Concerns aboutwater scarcity in South Africa have led to the Working for Water programme to remove fastgrowinginvasive trees from critical catchment areas and areas of valuable biodiversity(www.dwaf.pwv.gov.za/wfw). Across the developing world, ever-greater numbers of people areexposed to flood risks. Soil erosion continues to degrade agricultural potential, while dams,reservoirs and irrigation infrastructure continue to be clogged with sediment.

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