Turkana
Turkana is a region in southwestern Kenya that sits between
Lake Turkana and the Ugandan boarder (Britannica). The Turkana people keep cattle
and Shoats, but the region is very dry with little access to water which makes
resource conflict an issue. They have a very low ratio of teachers and medics
to population, but the biggest issue they face is drought “More wells. We needed
boreholes… The issue is drought” (Parenti 52). Boreholes are narrow holes put deep
into the ground to reach water or sometimes oil. In Tropic of Chaos, Christian Parenti focuses
on the global south and the impacts of climate change on the people there. He
talks about Turkana and their cattle raids and talks to a man named Lucas who
have us the quote above. This book was published over a decade ago, and I wanted
to explore more about this area and if they ever received the much-needed
boreholes.
I found an article from 2019 that included more information
about Turkana and their updates in water scarcity. The article talks to a woman
who had been walking seven kilometers, which is about four miles, each way
every morning to get water for her family, in 2018 a borehole was put into her village.
“Napoo is now among two out of every five Turkana residents with access to
clean water. It is a significant improvement from yesteryears” (Business Daily
Africa). I was also interested to find out that in 2013, but a few years after
Tropic of Chaos came out, there was the news that three additional aquafers
were found in Kenya and would supply all of Kenya with water for 70 years
(Business Daily Africa). It’s unfortunate to see that six years after that discovery
60% of residents in Turkana still didn’t have access to clean water. This article
was from four years ago, so I set out to see what else, if anything, has
happened in the region since then.
I found another article posted in April of 2022, providing
even more updates on the water scarcity in Kenya. This article was posted by
UNICEF and gives more insight into the boreholes and wells. They mention that
72 out of the 76 boreholes that are planned have been drilled and also explain
that boreholes are safer to use than wells because wells can become contaminated
by disease and often have the water has to be boiled before it can be used. A
large portion of the water that is from wells still has to go through a desalination
process that means it is not ready to drink straight from the ground (UNICEF). Some of the boreholes that have already put in
have solar powered pumps that allow for electricity free pumping. The article also
talked to a man who makes his livelihood by delivering water to people in Turkana
for people that don’t have access to nearby boreholes to provide domestic water
and water for their cattle (UNICEF).
I found an additional article that was older than the other
two, dating back to 2016, but it was from a different county in Kenya that was
often in conflict with Turkana due to water. I thought it would be interesting
to include another counties point of view on the conflict because it would be
so easy to villainize one county over the other in this conflict when it really
comes down to people not having access to one of the most basic needs in life-
water. This article focuses on Pokot and talks about the things being down
there to make it more drought resistant including planting 247 acres of drought
resistant grass for cattle, drilling new boreholes, and in turn increasing the number
of children that are enrolled in school there. The man they talk to, Alfred
Tulel, says that he hopes this increased water leads to increase peace in the
pastures. He also mention that people in Pokot have become more stationary after
being a nomad group for so long (Reuters).
So much of Tropic of Chaos focuses on the conflicts happening
all over the world and how so many of them can be drawn back in some shape or
form to climate change and more specifically drought. It’s very hard to imagine
the impacts of drought while I sit in Michigan no more than 40 miles from one
of the Great Lakes. Drought isn’t something I have ever had to worry about or
see firsthand, so reading about it and all the things that result from it is
hard to imagine. It’s nice to read these updates and find out that more boreholes
and water accessibility have been added to these regions, but part of me has to
wonder if its all on borrowed time. The first article I read mentioned that
they had found reservoirs in Kenya to provide water for the next 70 years, but
what happens after that? With growing population and hotter climates, will it
even last all 70 years?
Bibliography
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Turkana. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Turkana
Langat, A. (2016, February 11). Solar-powered wells ease conflict over water in Kenya's Rift Valley. Reuters. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/article/kenya-water-conflict-idAFL8N15N3I0
Njanja, A. (2020, December 21). Boreholes quench Turkana thirst as aquifers remain undeveloped. Business Daily. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/data-hub/boreholes-quench-turkana-thirst-as-aquifers-remain-undeveloped-2264236
Parenti, C. (2012). Tropic of chaos: Climate change and the new geography of violence. Nation Books.
Replacing well water with a clean alternative in drought-stricken areas. UNICEF Kenya. (2022, April 26). Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.unicef.org/kenya/stories/replacing-well-water-clean-alternative-drought-stricken-areas
Hey Amelia, this was a great post! I thought it was great how you gave your perspective because of their lack of clean water, versus our vast majority of our water that we have available that is clean. I also like how you pose the question how will this last? There needs to be a system in place so everyone has clean water available to them. How we get there? That’s a great question.
ReplyDeleteIt was lightening to read about how water availability is becoming better for people in a drought stricken place like Kenya. I also appreciate that they are using solar panels to power the wells instead of fossil fuel derived electricity. I also had the thought about well what after the 70 years are up?
ReplyDeleteGreat work! I really like how you connected the topic back to yourself and Michigan. I also talked about drought and water crisis a little bit in my post as well. I also wondered about the question you posed in the last paragraph when I was reading what you said about the boreholes: what happens after 70 years if it even gets to that? It's interesting to see that it's not all worse than when Tropic of Chaos came out, but it's still no where close to where it should be in terms of access to water and prevention of climate change.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Amelia! I liked the way you explained everything and you didn't make it all negative. I found it a really hopeful post and refreshing to hear how places like Kenya are finding ways to survive. I also liked how you tied it back to living in Michigan because I often feel like I'm living on borrowed time too.
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia! I liked learning more about Turkana and also how you compared it to another area in Kenya to show a broader perspective. The part about walking 4 miles both ways to get water really stood out to me. The walk back must be difficult while carrying to water back home. Good work!
ReplyDeleteTo have to walk 8 miles every day to supply water for your own family is a grave situation and a lack of a human right in regards to lack of easy access to clean water. What is the difference between boreholes and a well? I am glad that some people make a livelihood providing life saving water to those in need, but I do wish a more efficient program was created to benefit a greater number of people.
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia, I really enjoyed your post. Knowing that children must trek 8 miles every day simply to access water is extremely terrible. This demonstrates the state of our world today. These consequences shouldn't be part of earning a living. When you compare the drought and realize that while we do not experience it, others do, which is quite devastating, it is eye-opening.
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia, this is a really nice post! I was shocked to learn that walking miles and miles to get water is necessary in Turkana due to mass drought; there is such a devastating absence of water. Comparing the situation in Turkana to other areas in Kenya and even in Michigan was really impactful and would be helpful for people reading without much background information.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated by the difference between wells and boreholes, which I don't think I still fully understand. I wonder why the water would be salinated? Maybe it is coming from an ancient seabed that leaks salt into it? I agree with the other that this is a fine post. Allen
ReplyDelete