The proportion of transboundary basin area in Kenya with an operational arrangement for water cooperation

The proportion of transboundary basin area in Kenya with an operational arrangement for water cooperation as of March 02, 2025, we need to assess Indicator 6.5.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6.5.2). This indicator measures the percentage of a country’s transboundary basin area (rivers, lakes, and aquifers shared with neighboring countries) covered by operational arrangements, such as treaties or agreements, that meet specific criteria for cooperation. These criteria include the existence of a joint body, regular meetings (at least annually), joint management plans or objectives, and regular data exchange (at least annually). Below, I’ll analyze Kenya’s transboundary basins and the status of their operational arrangements based on available data.

Kenya’s Transboundary Basins

Kenya shares several transboundary water bodies with its neighbors—Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. These include river basins, lakes, and aquifers, with varying degrees of formal cooperation. The key transboundary basins and their approximate areas within Kenya are:

  1. Lake Victoria Basin (Nile River Sub-Basin):

    • Shared With: Uganda, Tanzania (extends to Rwanda, Burundi via the Nile).

    • Area in Kenya: ~4,100 km² (Kenya’s portion of Lake Victoria surface area, part of the larger 68,800 km² basin).

    • Total Basin Area: ~184,000 km² (including catchment).

    • Cooperation: Managed through the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), established in 1999 by 10 riparian states (including Kenya), and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), formed in 2003 under the East African Community (EAC). The NBI facilitates dialogue and joint projects, while the LVBC oversees the lake’s sustainable management.

  2. Mara River Basin:

    • Shared With: Tanzania.

    • Area in Kenya: ~8,800 km² (of the total 13,750 km² basin).

    • Cooperation: A 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kenya and Tanzania initiated a transboundary water allocation plan, with ongoing efforts to formalize cooperation. Progress includes data collection and stakeholder engagement, but a fully operational arrangement is not yet finalized.

  3. Sio-Malaba-Malakisi (SMM) River Basin (Nile Sub-Basin):

    • Shared With: Uganda.

    • Area in Kenya: ~1,700 km² (of the total 3,240 km² basin).

    • Cooperation: An MoU was signed in 2019 under the NBI and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with support from IUCN’s BRIDGE project. A Project Management Unit and Regional Steering Committee exist, meeting annually, and joint investment plans are in development, suggesting operationality.

  4. Lake Turkana Basin (Omo-Turkana Basin):

    • Shared With: Ethiopia.

    • Area in Kenya: ~6,405 km² (lake surface area in Kenya; total basin ~130,000 km², mostly in Ethiopia).

    • Cooperation: No formal bilateral agreement exists. Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam impacts inflows, but cooperation is informal (e.g., Friends of Lake Turkana advocacy). No joint body or regular data exchange is documented.

  5. Athi-Galana-Sabaki River Basin:

    • Shared With: Somalia (downstream as Jubba River).

    • Area in Kenya: ~126,000 km² ( Kenyan portion; total basin extends into Somalia, ~166,000 km²).

    • Cooperation: No operational transboundary arrangement exists due to Somalia’s instability and lack of formal engagement.

  6. Lake Jipe and Umba River Basin:

    • Shared With: Tanzania.

    • Area in Kenya: ~500 km² (combined, partial estimates).

    • Cooperation: Informal management; no operational arrangement reported beyond local initiatives.

  7. Transboundary Aquifers:

    • Examples: Coastal aquifers (Kenya-Tanzania), Kilimanjaro/Lake Natron (Kenya-Tanzania), Lotikipi (Kenya-South Sudan-Ethiopia).

    • Area in Kenya: Uncertain, but minor (~1,000-2,000 km² estimated).

    • Cooperation: Largely unmanaged; no operational arrangements documented.

Total Transboundary Basin Area in Kenya

  • Surface Water Estimate: Summing major basins:

    • Lake Victoria: 4,100 km².

    • Mara: 8,800 km².

    • SMM: 1,700 km².

    • Lake Turkana: 6,405 km².

    • Athi-Galana-Sabaki: 126,000 km².

    • Lake Jipe/Umba: 500 km².

    • Total: ~147,505 km² (overlaps and catchment complexities adjust this to ~140,000-150,000 km²).

  • Aquifers: ~1,000-2,000 km² (conservative, as data is sparse).

  • Grand Total: ~141,000-152,000 km² (compared to Kenya’s 580,367 km² land area, ~24-26%).

Operational Arrangements

For an arrangement to be “operational” under SDG 6.5.2:

  1. Joint body exists.

  2. Meetings occur at least annually.

  3. Joint plans or objectives are set.

  4. Data is exchanged at least annually.

  • Lake Victoria Basin:

    • Status: Operational. The LVBC (joint body) meets regularly, has a Strategic Action Plan, and facilitates data exchange via NBI’s Nile Decision Support System. Covers 4,100 km² in Kenya.

  • SMM Basin:

    • Status: Operational. The MoU establishes a joint committee, with annual meetings (e.g., 2019 Nairobi workshop) and investment plans, supported by IGAD and NBI. Covers 1,700 km².

  • Mara River Basin:

    • Status: Not fully operational. The 2015 MoU lacks a permanent joint body, regular meetings, or finalized plans, though data sharing is advancing. Covers 0 km² operationally.

  • Lake Turkana, Athi-Galana-Sabaki, Lake Jipe/Umba, Aquifers:

    • Status: Not operational. No formal agreements, joint bodies, or regular cooperation. Covers 0 km² operationally.

Calculation

  • Area with Operational Arrangements:

    • Lake Victoria: 4,100 km².

    • SMM: 1,700 km².

    • Total: 5,800 km².

  • Total Transboundary Basin Area: 141,000-152,000 km² (midpoint ~146,500 km²).

  • Proportion:

    • 5,800 / 146,500 ≈ 0.0396 or 3.96%.

    • Range: 5,800 / 152,000 ≈ 3.8%; 5,800 / 141,000 ≈ 4.1%.

Global and Regional Context

  • The 2023 UN-Water report notes 59% of global transboundary basin area has operational arrangements, with sub-Saharan Africa faring better than the average. Kenya’s 2020 SDG 6.5.2 report (latest available) aligns with this low figure, reflecting limited progress beyond NBI/LVBC basins.

 

The proportion of transboundary basin area in Kenya with an operational arrangement for water cooperation is approximately 3.8-4.1% as of March 02, 2025, based on the Lake Victoria and SMM basins (5,800 km²) out of an estimated 141,000-152,000 km² total. This low percentage highlights gaps in formal cooperation for major basins like Turkana and Athi, despite Kenya’s engagement in regional frameworks like the NBI.