25 / 72
25
• Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA),
responsible for the sustainable management of water
resources.
• Catchment Area Advisory Committees, advises WRMA
on conservation, use and allocation of water resources
in their catchments.
• Water Resources Users Association, provides a forum
for conflict resolution and cooperative management of
water resources in designated catchment areas.
• Water Services Regulatory Board, responsible for the
regulation of water and sewerage services.
• Water Service Boards, responsible for the efficient and
economic provision of water and sewerage services in
their areas of jurisdiction.
• Water Service Providers, contracted by Water Service
Boards to provide quality water and sewerage services.
• Water Services Trust Fund, assists in financing the
provision of water services to areas without capacity to
develop adequate water services.
• Water Appeal Board, provides a mechanism for dispute
resolution.
Box 1: Key institutions created as a result of
the Water Act
important for the regulation of river flows, as well as reducing
soil erosion and sedimentation which, if not checked, would
affect the water quality and increase the cost of water treatment.
The conservation of the Aberdare range ecosystem is crucial
if Nairobi is to continue making significant contributions to
the national economy. A recent study by Mungai and others
(2011) found that there has been a significant reduction of
environmental degradation in the Aberdare Conservation
Area. This is evidenced by the increase in indigenous forest
cover from 62 000 ha in 2000 to 131 000 ha in 2010 following
the fencing off of this water catchment area through a private-
public partnership initiative. To ensure continued supply of
water, electricity and other goods and services to Nairobi from
the Aberdare range, a policy framework and clear management
system that incorporate the key stakeholders need to be put in
place. At the same time, poverty reduction interventions are
required in the forest margin landscapes to reduce pressure on
the ecosystem from communities living adjacent to the forests
(Mungai and others 2011).