Year: 2026
Type: other
Abstract: The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is East Africa's most productive water region, generating about 59% of Kenya's surface water and supporting more than 42 million people across five countries. It sustains dense rural populations and smallholder agriculture but faces mounting pressure from land degradation, rainfall variability, pollution, and unplanned groundwater abstraction. This report synthesizes published literature on the Kenyan LVB and combines it with a groundwater assessment at Jimo Aggregated Farm, Kisumu County. From March to June 2026, IWMI and ASAL-Green consulted over 80 community members; leaders chose groundwater because the nearby Sao River flows into Lake Victoria, and authorities prohibit abstraction from it. The regional review shows that most of the Kenyan LVB lies on the Precambrian Basement Complex, where groundwater depends on weathered and fractured zones rather than primary porosity. At Jimo, a Very Low Frequency Electromagnetic Resistivity survey of 14 sounding points recommended a borehole of 120–150 m, with an expected yield of 3.0–7.0 m³/hr. Three priorities emerge: (i) pair community demand with geophysically verified siting; (ii) embed groundwater development in catchment-scale soil and water conservation, as about 45% of basin land is erosion-prone; and (iii) strengthen data-sharing through the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. Replicated community-scale assessments can improve water security and fill aquifer data gaps.
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220891237
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