The purpose of this research is to quantify water use within the Mara
River Basin, an international river basin between the bordering countries of Kenya and
Tanzania in Eastern Africa. This thesis looks at various water-use factors that exist
within the basin and quantifies the amount of water they require, subsequently comparing
this use to existing records of water availability.
Hydrologic records, site interviews, population census data, and spatial datasets
were used in combination with a geographic information system to manually and
spatially determine water demand. Six water use factors were analyzed within the basin,
including large-scale irrigation farms, human populations, livestock populations, wildlife
populations, large-scale mining operations, and lodges and tent camps.
Results show that the total current water demand within the basin does not appear
to eclipse water supply during periods of mean flow. However, the current water demand
does pose a threat to water resources within the MRB during periods of minimum flow.