RIVER SAND SHOULD BE SEEN AS WATER SOURCE BUT NOT MINERAL

  River sand remain key component in construction industry and water availability. In the last few decades, the world has experienced significant demand for river sand because of increasing living standards, rapid population growth, and the expansion of the construction sector. The growth of sand harvesting activities is associated with adverse environmental impacts, including reduced water quality, the widening of river beds, and reduced water quantity. Achieving equilibrium between river sand harvesting and water availability has remained elusive leading to decline in water availability due to quick cash associated with river sand harvesting

The 6^th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) is geared towards ensuring that everyone has access to safe and affordable drinking water. For its full realization, all water sources ought to be preserved to ensure their water provision is not compromised. Although hardly considered, river sand remains critical water source for households in rural arid and semi-arid areas and its continued exploration has jeopardized their livelihoods.

National Sand Harvesting Guidelines 2007, provides legal framework for conservation and utilization of sand resource, albeit it does not explicitly define whether sand is mineral or water reservoir. Makueni County Sand Conservation and Utilization Act 2015, in principle put much emphasis on conservation of river sand while creating sand utilization framework for local domestic use within Makueni County, its implementation challenges notwithstanding, the Act has led to restoration of many rivers and brought much needed sanity within sand value chain in Makueni County.

Kenya is a water scarce country with per capita water availability of 600M³ which is below global threshold of 1000M³. Coupled with climate change, the situation is likely to worsen in future. Rivers provide bulk of water for domestic and agricultural uses among rural households and their water availability is dependent on river sand availability. River sand harvesting has led to degradation of river beds which are custodians of surface water within river channels, this practice in return has resulted to drying up of rivers and water structures within river channels.

Sand dams have been widely used to restore river equilibrium and their water holding capacities through acting as barrier to sand flow downstream. Due to their relatively low cost construction and technical requirements, communities have taken up the initiative to erect as many sand dams as possible within their river channels. These initiatives have led to restoration of degraded riparian ecosystems and reclamation of adjacent arable lands.

Utilization of river sand remains threat to water availability despite its role in construction industry, this calls for regulation its regulation to ensure sustainable harvesting. To achieve this, stakeholder engagements remain primary including local communities, sand dealers, sand loaders and County and National government enforcement and compliance teams.

To realize harmony and unity from all involved river sand harvesting stakeholders, benefit sharing among involved riparian communities ought to be factored. Riparian communities through Water Resource User Associations and other local formations are the custodians of rivers and unsustainable sand harvesting directly impacts on their livelihoods and wellbeing. Laws regulating river sand harvesting should ensure trickle down of revenue to the communities through conservation projects, water projects and environment restoration projects

Water is life, and thus all water sources need to be conserved to ensure their ability to provide the much needed resources remains optimal. Sand rivers remain one of key water sources and hence their protection is paramount, for this to be achieved, sand river should be understood as water tank and not mineral