Lobby concerned as water crisis hits Africa's ethnic minorities

Minority Rights Group International has raised concern, noting that indigenous and ethnic minority groups in Africa are hard hit by the water crisis.

Minority Rights Group Africa East Africa Projects Coordinator Geoffrey Kewsi said as the world continues to change, the place of water in the environment is becoming even more precarious.

He spoke on Thursday in Nairobi during the launch of the Minority and Indigenous Trends 2023- Focus on Water report. 

Kewsi said indigenous people and minorities around the world are bearing the brunt of these changes, according to the newly released report. 

"Indigenous people and ethnic minorities deal with the worst effects of the water crisis in Africa. Whether it is flooding, drought, or pollution," he said.

Kewsi said many minority communities in Africa are affected given that they are located in remote, marginalised areas with extreme weather conditions.

In Kenya, Kewsi noted that part of the water crisis is the rising water levels in some lakes. 

He said Lake Bogoria along with other lakes in the Rift Valley have been rising over the last few years. 

Kewsi said the rise in water levels is disrupting the delicate ecosystem. 

He added that the indigenous Endorois, a semi-nomadic pastoralist community, are bearing the brunt of the changes happening around Lake Bogoria. 

"The Endorois have in the past been evicted from their ancestral lands in and around Lake Bogoria to pave the way for conservation. The rise of the water adds to the woes of the Endorois, who are some of the most marginalised communities in Kenya," Kewsi said. 

He said due to the floods, health facilities have closed, soils have been affected and areas for community rituals have disappeared. 

"Some Endorois have been displaced not only once but multiple times throughout their lifetimes, as the lands on which they were resettled post eviction has been inundated multiple times by the encroaching waters," reads the report. 

Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network Executive Director Christine Kandie called on the government to work on solutions to the climate change problem which is the cause of some of the water crises. 

She also urged the government to respond to their issues fast enough. 

"The government should also take the Department of Livestock very seriously in terms of giving the marginalised groups incentives," Kandie said. 

She also urged the marginalised communities to be proactive in the fight against climate change by taking up tree planting exercises. 

"Communities should work on activities that bring solutions to climate change," she said. 

Kandie called on the government to provide necessary resources to help the communities as they try to recover from the effects of climate change.