MaAI // Artificial Intelligence for Freshwater Resource Management – Exploring Open-Source Data for Water Quality Monitoring and Conservation

Facts About Water

Where is Earth's Water?

Explore freshwater geography Full View groups selected smaller ocean and sea sectors as Other seas.

96.5% of all Earth water is in oceans, seas and bays

2.5% of all Earth water is freshwater

68.7% of freshwater is held in glaciers and ice caps

30.1% of freshwater is stored underground

The drill-downs use different metrics and therefore should not be compared as one common total. Groundwater countries show long-term annual renewable groundwater resources—not groundwater stock. River sectors use drainage-basin area. Mountain-glacier sectors use glacierized area. Wetland sectors use mapped site or complex area. Main water shares and surface-water storage follow USGS. Ocean volumes use NOAA/NCEI. Glacier regions use RGI 7.0. Permafrost geography uses NSIDC. Groundwater-country values use FAO AQUASTAT. Major lake volumes use the World Lake Database. Wetland areas use the Ramsar Sites Information Service. River basins use GRDC Major River Basins.

Earth is the only planet confirmed to have a stable atmosphere & abundant water just one of two countries globally where the country name (Kenya) and capital city (Nairobi) names are directly linked to freshwater. The only other country is Lebanon in the Middle East.

96.5% {naɪˈrəʊbɪ} of all water on Earth is contained in oceans & seas;

2.5% of all water of Nairobi's neighbourhoods are etymologically named after water including: Chiromo, Embakasi, Karura, Lang'ata, Mathare, Ruaraka.

25 of the largest cities, towns & municipalities in the country are named after water. These include: Eldoret City, Ruiru, Naivasha, Ngong, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Sagana, Narok, Mbita, Yala, Mai Mahiu, Njoro, Kajiado, Loitoktok among others

Our host village - Kihumo means origin in our indigenous Kikuyu language. It refers to the source of Nairobi River that flows from Ondiri Wetland

Lack Safe Access to Water

Kenya's Waters Run Deep

Illustration: Countries & Capital Cities Named After Freshwater

^{Sources: The Demography Project}

Kenya is just one of two countries globally where the country name (Kenya) and capital city (Nairobi) names are directly linked to freshwater. The only other country is Lebanon in the Middle East.

Kenya {ˈkiːnjə} means Kiirinyaga (indigenous Kikuyu for mountain of whiteness) referring to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya

Nairobi {naɪˈrəʊbɪ} means Enkare Nyrobi (indigenous Maasai for place of cool waters) referring to the waters of the Nairobi River and its tributaries.

Many of Nairobi's neighbourhoods are etymologically named after water including: Chiromo, Embakasi, Karura, Lang'ata, Mathare, Ruaraka.

Our host village - Kihumo means origin in our indigenous Kikuyu language. It refers to the source of Nairobi River that flows from Ondiri Wetland

Kenya's Waters Run Deep

For the world’s poorest, the climate crisis is a freshwater crisis

- Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive Officer: WaterAid UK

71% {ˈkiːnjə} of the planet's surface is covered by water

96.5% {naɪˈrəʊbɪ} of all water on Earth is contained in oceans & seas;

2.5% of all water of Nairobi's neighbourhoods are etymologically named after water including: Chiromo, Embakasi, Karura, Lang'ata, Mathare, Ruaraka.

Our host village - Kihumo means origin in our indigenous Kikuyu language. It refers to the source of Nairobi River that flows from Ondiri Wetland

Lack Safe Access to Water

The Ticking Draining Time Bomb

Animation: Kenya's per capita freshwater availability (m³ / person / year), 1963–2050

^{Sources: World Bank, UN FAO AQUASTAT, Falkenmark Water Scarcity Index (1997), IPCC AR6 (2021), Kenya National Water Masterplan 2030 (NWMP 2030)}

-1%

Water Availability: 1963-2050

Since 1963, freshwater available per Kenyan has drastically declined by 87.6% to a projected 294m³ by 2050.

Population Increase: 1963-2050

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

* Simply put, if all of Kenya's renewable & accessible freshwater was a 2,500 litre water tank, we would be at the very bottom of the tank in 2026. Just enough for 10 mitungis za maji - 10-20 litre jerricans

Unequal Availability

Kenya Basin Water Availability per Person | NWMP 2030

<100100–250250–500500–1,000>1,000 m³/person/year

m³/person/year

change from 2010

available water resources, MCM/year

Basin	2010	2030	2050

Animation: Kenya's per capita freshwater availability (m³ / person / year), 1963–2050

^{Sources: Per-person values are computed from NWMP 2030 catchment available-water-resource figures and NWMP population projections. Basin 2010 populations are inferred from NWMP basin renewable-water-per-capita statements, then scaled by the NWMP national population projection for each decade.}

Freshwater isn't equally available in Kenya only planet. Due to population distribution, urbanization, land usage and water resources, the available water across the country's six basins varies greatly. confirmed to have a stable atmosphere & abundant water just one of two countries globally where the country name (Kenya) and capital city (Nairobi) names are directly linked to freshwater. The only other country is Lebanon in the Middle East.

Eight of Kenya's ten largest urban centres are in the Athi River Basin including Nairobi, Mombasa, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Thika, Malindi, Machakos and Konza City (Africa’s Silicon Savannah).

urban Kenyans live in ACA Basin

18 million Kenyans live in urban areas, of whom 11 million live in the water-stressed Athi River Basin. Currently, 3 of 5 urban Kenyans live in the Athi Catchment Area.

Eight of Kenya's ten largest urban centres are in the Athi River Basin including Nairobi, Mombasa, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Thika, Malindi, Machakos and Konza City (Africa’s Silicon Savannah). Combined, the urban centres in the River Basin host 61% of the country's urban population at 9 million Kenyans with Nairobi City Region alone accounting for 7 million.

of Ewaso Ng'iro is arid land

18 million Kenyans live in urban areas, of whom 11 million live in the water-stressed Athi River Basin. Currentl 3 of 5 urban Kenyans live in the Athi Catchment Area.

The Economic Cost of Unsafe WASH

Kenya Water & Sanitation Cost Counter

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Calculated from midnight in Nairobi.

Animation: Kenya's per capita freshwater availability (m³ / person / year), 1963–2050

^{Sources: World Bank, UN FAO AQUASTAT, Falkenmark Water Scarcity Index (1997), IPCC AR6 (2021), Kenya National Water Masterplan 2030 (NWMP 2030)}

-1%

Water Availability: 1963-2050

Since 1963, freshwater available per Kenyan has drastically declined by 87.6% to a projected 294m³ by 2050.

Population Increase: 1963-2050

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

The Human Cost of Unsafe WASH

Kenya Under-5 WASH Deaths County Map

Illustration: Estimated Mortality from Inadequate WASH per County

^{Note::County values are modelled allocations of the 17,000+ national annual estimate, not official vital-registration counts.}

Child Deaths per Year

Since 1963, freshwater available per Kenyan has drastically declined by 87.6% to a projected 294m³ by 2050.

Lack Safe Access to Water

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

Lack Access to Sanitation

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

Lack Safe Access to Water

Lack Access to Safe Water

41% of Kenyans rely on unimproved or surface water sources

Lack Access to Sanitation

Lack Access to Safe Water

41% of Kenyans rely on unimproved or surface water sources

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

Child Deaths per Year

Over 17,000 under-5 deaths annually attributed to WASH-preventable diarrhoeal diseases (UNICEF Kenya 2023)

The Ticking Draining Time Bomb

Animation: Kenya's per capita freshwater availability (m³ / person / year), 1963–2050

^{Note:: County values are modelled allocations of the 17,000 national annual estimate, not official vital-registration counts.}

-1%

Water Availability: 1963-2050

Since 1963, freshwater available per Kenyan has drastically declined by 87.6% to a projected 294m³ by 2050.

Population Increase: 1963-2050

Kenya's human population has increased eleven-fold from 8.6 million in 1963 to a projected 97 million by 2050.

Water stress has doubled between 1990 and 2020

Company Performance

The Ticking Draining Time Bomb

Maai Makwa (indigenous Kikuyu language for My Water) is an open-source, open-data and public domain water quality and quantity monitoring project integrated with practical civic education to empower individuals, households and communities in Kenya to participate in freshwater conservation and sustainable water resource exploitation.

What is Maai Makwa?

It is an open-source, open-data and public domain water quality and quantity monitoring project integrated with practical civic education to empower water-scarce, climate-vulnerable & disenfranchised individuals, households and communities in Kenya to participate in domestic-led sustainable freshwater resource management.

Kenya is classified as a water-scarce country by the United Nations, having a declining annual renewable freshwater of 20.2 km³. In 2005, this translated to 647m³per capita per year and by the year 2025, it is projected that this will decline significantly to 235 m³ per capita.

How to use Maai Makwa

Search for a Location of Interest

Navigate the map with your cursor, and find a location of interest by clicking through geographies (province, district, metro, municipality, ward, etc.).

Explore Water Service Providers

Navigate the map with your cursor, and find a location of interest by clicking through geographies (province, district, metro, municipality, ward, etc.).