Upstream Impacts on Lower Mara River

In any shared basin there are upstream and downstream impacts that can affect users of the shared water resources. These impacts, sometimes called "drivers", range from policy and economic activity, to pollution and diversion actions. The Mau Forest Complex, the largest montane forest stand in East Africa, is part of the headwaters of the Mara River. In theory the Mau Forest provides a natural way of filtering water and the soils, held in place by the trees, allow for water storage and gradual release.

The Ogiek People, indigenous forest dwellers, have lived in the Mau Forest for generations. Their traditional knowledge and stewardship of the forest has helped maintain its ecological integrity. However, encroachment, deforestation, and agricultural expansion continue to threaten the Mau Forest and, by extension, the water security of downstream communities in Tanzania's lower Mara River Basin.

SELVA's research focuses on documenting these upstream-downstream connections and supporting management approaches that account for the full basin system — from the Mau Forest headwaters to Lake Victoria.