In the horn of Africa, household piped water is as rare as the resources required for such wide coverage. Water for irrigation and agribusiness is also a rare phenomenon. Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand. Many ASAL counties in Kenya like Mandera have already implemented policies aimed at water conservation, with much success. Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand.
Ninety-seven percent of all the water on the earth is salt water which is not suitable for drinking. Only three percent of all the water is freshwater, and only one percent is available for drinking water. The other two percent is locked in ice caps and glaciers. With all the people on Earth relying on such a small percentage of all the water on Earth, it only makes sense that we must preserve and conserve our water. We must not pollute our water because it is the only water we will ever have. Some people do not realize the importance of water, and they are continually polluting it. EPS KENYA efforts in water conservation resonates with this in the following efforts and experiences:
- construction of water pans
- construction of dams
- water harvesting using artificial tactics like water tanks, both plastic and concrete
- reservoir management, quality adherence and capacity development to government staff
- ECD, basic and secondary education SWASH and community WASH programs