Conservation
Project
Natural
Waterholes Restoration Project
The
Maasai Association is the driving force behind the Waterhole
Restoration Project in Merrueshi Group Ranch, Kenya. This is
a rangeland management and conservation project aimed at restoring
natural waterholes for the benefit of wildlife and Maasai pastoralists.
The
waterholes were originally made and maintained by elephants
for decades. However, due to prolonged droughts and reduction
of elephant population in the region, most waterholes have either
silted up or in the process of silting. The waterholes are in
desperate need of restoration.
Why
are the waterholes silting?
Silting
of waterholes is caused by excessive vegetation growth and accumulated
mud in the bottom of the waterhole. When a waterhole disappears,
the number of wildlife in that area will also fade away. Shortage
of water can increase human and wildlife conflict in the area.
The objectives for restoring waterholes are to:
•
Collect rainwater which would otherwise be lost to evaporation
or runoff
• Reduce human and wildlife conflict over shallow wells
and boreholes
• Promote tolerance and harmonize the relationship between
people and wildlife
• Secure wildlife migration corridors in private ranches
• Increase the number of wildlife in the area
Because of complexities between landowners and wildlife we often
restored waterholes in private ranches and encouraged landowners
to share the water and pasture with wildlife. We can only restore
waterholes in private ranches when the owner agreed not to fence
the waterhole and open migration corridors.
Restoring
a Waterhole
To
restore the waterhole we have to bring in a bulldozer from Nairobi
city. It is not always easy to find a bulldozer because most
contractors are often reluctant to bring their equipment 300
kilometers into the bush where communication and roads is limited.
Tree
planting
The
local people must play an important role in order for the project
to be successful. The villagers are required to plant drought-tolerant
trees around the waterholes. The trees are an effective means
to prevent future soil erosion. In addition to restoring the
waterhole we also have to restore water channels that direct
the water into the waterhole. The Maasai Association will continue
to monitor the waterhole for years and make sure that the ranchers
are keeping the promise.You
can adopt a waterhole in one Click.
Please
contact us for any questions regarding this and other projects
in our organization.
