**11. Current situation of water resources development**

The Athi River basin with a total area of 58,639 km<sup>2</sup> receives an annual rainfall of 810 mm, which is categorized between rather high rainfall of around 1,300– 1,400 mm in LVNCA and LVSCA and low rainfall of around 500 mm in RVCA and ENNCA. Rainfall amounts differs spatially within the basin ranging from 500 mm in the southern part near the border with Tanzania to about 1,200 mm in the western part of the country.

As of 2010, the estimated water resources in the basin were to the tune of 1,198 MCM/year for surface water and 333 MCM/year for groundwater while the water resources estimated for 2030 stands at 1,334 MCM/year considering the effect of climate change, while the available groundwater resources is 303 MCM/year which is almost same as the amount of 2010.

On the other hand, water demands in the basin is estimated to be 1,145 MCM/ year, which consist mainly of domestic water demands for the population of 9.79 million and irrigation water demands for the irrigation area of 44,898 ha. Most of the population is concentrated in and around Nairobi and Mombasa cities and its area along the coastal belt. This implies that there are increased water demands in these urban centres. The study noted that the existing water resource structures/ facilities would not be able to satisfy the greatly increased 2030 water demand because of the uneven distribution of water resources both spatially and temporally. Therefore, new water resources structures/facilities are required to be developed.

More attention needs to be paid to the domestic water supply in Nairobi and satellite towns, and also in Mombasa and coastal areas where future domestic water demands will increase drastically, but the available water resources are limited.

The Strategies for the water resources development in Athi River basin should formulate a well-balanced development plan between water resources and demands, based on the current situation of the catchment area and future water demands. Theses should include:

