00:01Finally, the water is flowing again.
00:04Robert Njogu Karanja's potato plants are in full bloom and need a drink regularly.
00:10But water is now a precious commodity at the foot of Mount Kenya.
00:16Before climate change hit us, the rain patterns were very predictable.
00:20On March 15, there would be rainfall, but this year it started on March 5.
00:25That never used to happen.
00:28From droughts to heavy rain, the weather here has changed dramatically.
00:34Another problem, warming temperatures are rapidly melting Mount Kenya's ice reserves.
00:40Around 95% of its glaciers have disappeared.
00:44By 2030, the ice caps which have crowned Mount Kenya since the last ice age could be gone completely.
00:51Africa's glaciers have long revealed how rapidly the Earth's climate is changing.
00:56The water supply of the entire region depends on their meltwater.
01:01Time is running out for small farmers in the valley.
01:05To survive, they need to adapt to the changed conditions as quickly as possible.
01:10The first challenge, how to best use the available water.
01:13On the wind-sheltered side of the mountain, the farmers use hand dug ponds to collect rainwater.
01:20Each pond can hold up to 100,000 litres of water.
01:24A solar-powered pump transports the water to fields higher up the slope.
01:34The water ponds help us harvest rainwater.
01:37But our main challenge is that when the dry season is prolonged, the water levels go down and we do
01:42not have damliners.
01:43So if we could get damliners, we could store water for longer periods.
01:52The ponds help to conserve the water that's available, which is key.
01:56The strawberries on his farm are kept supplied with drip irrigation, which uses very little water.
02:03His neighbor, Antony Wanjegi, previously dug two new wells on his farm, but both have since dried up again.
02:14We are trying to encourage farmers to harvest the water that's available.
02:18Since everyone has a rooftop over their home, we ask them to collect the water and store it in tanks
02:23for use at home.
02:25Water from the river is also okay, but there's so many who rely on it.
02:29So when we harvest rainwater or dig boreholes like I have in my house, so that everyone has water to
02:36use.
02:44Collecting rainwater helps during the worst dry periods, but if the water table drops too low, there's still a problem.
02:53The last drought took a heavy toll on Antony Wanjegi's avocado trees, leaving them vulnerable to pests and diseases.
03:03To improve things long term, the soil needs to be revitalized.
03:07The highest point of this farm now hosts a small grove of trees that store water.
03:12The seedlings come from his own nursery.
03:18In the meadow below, he's planted Nepia grass.
03:21This low maintenance grass has an extensive root system reaching up to 4.5 meters deep into the soil.
03:28There, it finds water, prevents erosion, and stops minerals from being washed away.
03:35The animals on the farm are real plants too. It's very nutritious, and studies show that Nepia grass can save
03:42up to 48% on water.
03:47The next step is to convince the farmers not to rely on just one crop.
03:51They are receiving support from the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture.
03:56Meri Wahito Wanjero visits Mount Kenya regularly to advise the farmers.
04:02We are really encouraging farmers to diversify in whatever they are practicing in their farms.
04:23The more farmers diversify the crops they grow, the better they can adapt to climate change.
04:29Alongside the lucrative avocados, farmers here are now also growing hardy millet as well as various fruits and vegetables.
04:36The ministry supplies them with high quality seeds and sustainable fertilizer.
04:43Meri Wanjero looks at the farmers' books and advises on which crops to sow well.
04:48The ministry wants the farmers to form cooperatives in the long term to strengthen their position in the market.
04:56We encourage and bring all the society people together, make sure they are in groups, self-help groups, and with
05:07that we are able to draw many partners who will engage them in contract farming.
05:15Apart from that, when they aggregate, they have the bargaining power of making sure that their produce are sold at
05:24a very profitable price.
05:28If everything goes to plan, the Kenyan Highlands will become a hotspot for high quality food.
05:34Sustainability also sparks entirely new business ideas.
05:38Avocado farmer Anthony Wanjegi is now making good money with grafted avocado trees.
05:43He crosses the popular but water hungry huss avocados with native varieties, which are more resistant to pests and requires
05:51less water.
05:53Recently, he sold over 3000 of his hybrid seedlings in a single day.
05:58A success story from Mount Kenya that will hopefully be followed by many more.
06:05Sponsored by a crossfire.
06:05Sponsored by a crossfire, the
06:05Siobese Monurica & Petack
06:06Sponsored by a brother and a private seedlings in a single day.
06:07Sponsored by a half-time
06:08Sponsored by a passive-person
06:08Sponsored by a rich-person
06:09Sponsored by a Swiss- Cuomo
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