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{
    "id": 791994,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/791994/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 148,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Macharia",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2367,
        "legal_name": "Jacob Waweru Macharia",
        "slug": "jacob-waweru-macharia"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me give a brief summary on the Motion. One, the UN has ranked Kenya as having one of the lowest water replenishment rates in the world. The renewable water resource per capita is at 647 cubic metres per capita per annum, which is far below 1,000 cubic metres. Globally, a country is categorised as water stressed if its annual renewable fresh water supplies are between 1,000 and 1,700 cubic metres per capita and water scarce if its renewable fresh water supplies are less than 1,000 cubic metres per capita. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the amount of renewable water resources per capita in Kenya has been significantly decreasing over the past 50 years and now falls below the recommended line. Water touches nearly every aspect of development. It drives economic growth, supports healthy ecosystems and is fundamental for life. The Government has been talking about the Big Four Agenda. We all agree that there is no way we can have sufficient food if we do not have water. We cannot have a healthy population if we do not have water or we do not take care of water and our environment. We need to improve the way we manage our water collection. This critical resource can harm as well as help. Water related hazards, including floods; storms and droughts are responsible for nine out of 10 natural disasters. Climate change is expected to increase this risk in addition to placing greater stress on water supplies. It has been documented and we all know that during the El Nino rains, we faced a major crisis in this country. During that period, that is 1997 to 2000, it cost this country Kshs290 billion to rehabilitate our infrastructure that was destroyed during the El Nino rains. Right now, we know that the ongoing heavy rains in many parts of this country have led to loss of life, damage of property, destruction of crops and loss of livestock. We know communication and infrastructure such as roads and bridges are damaged and, at the same time, some economic activities have come to a standstill. Yesterday, I saw a clip circulating on social media of Sagana Bridge just before you get to Sagana Town coming from Nairobi, where water is almost sweeping away that bridge. So, with the ongoing heavy rains, if we do not take advantage and harvest or manage that water, we are going to lose a lot in terms of infrastructure. We know the Government is spending a lot of money building our infrastructure, especially roads. So, the money that we spend on infrastructure will just go down the drain because we will have to come back and re-do the same roads. So, instead of moving forward, we will be taking two steps forward and one step backward, and we will never be able to progress as a country. Although the occurrence of such extreme climate events is outside the country’s control, it is possible to minimise their impact through proper planning and investment. The combined effect of growing populations, rising income and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, and the supply will become more erratic and uncertain. To avert a further The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}