Handover of the water availability and demand tool to the National Irrigation Authority

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), handed over the Water Availability and Demand (WAD) tool to Kenya’s National Irrigation Authority (NIA) at a ceremony hosted at NIA headquarters. The event was led by Ephantus Kimotho, Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation (SDI), and attended by senior officials from SDI, IWMI and the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI).

Developed under FAO’s WaPOR project in collaboration with IWMI and NIA, the WAD tool uses satellite information and ground observations to close data gaps in water and irrigation planning. The interactive dashboard provides:

• Water availability: summaries of effective rainfall, groundwater and national water accounting;
• Water demand: water use, crop areas and cropland types (rainfed, fully irrigated and supplementary irrigated);
• Storage assessment: potential locations for 1 000 m³ storage ponds based on runoff; and
• Sufficiency insights: comparison of water use and availability to indicate where storage is required.

Speaking at the handover, Mr Kimotho underlined that the tool supports government efforts to expand irrigated agriculture, increase water storage, strengthen food security, reduce reliance on imports and attract investment in agro‑processing. NIA Chief Executive Officer Charles Muasya noted that the tool will enhance the Authority’s capacity to plan and implement viable irrigation projects, including improved mapping of rice‑growing areas to raise production.

FAO’s Hamisi Williams, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and IWMI’s Regional Director for East Africa, Abdulkarim Seid, emphasised that technology‑enabled monitoring of land and water productivity is essential in water‑scarce contexts. FAO encouraged continued use of the WAD tool to inform water productivity initiatives and investment planning in Kenya.