Its 5:30 am….ok, time to wake up. I hesitate, pull the covers a little closer and then remember…yes, time to wake up! I jump out of bed, throw on some clothes and grab my camera as I emerge into the dark, cool early morning hours that are typical of the Masai Mara Game Reserve in early July. Our four wheel drive takes the well worn dirt road with ease as it powers forward in search of the Big Five…Rhinos, Lions, Buffalo, Elephants, and leopards. One can’t help but be mesmerized by the golden glow of the endless fields of yellow and bronze as the sun ascends over the horizon. Endless herds of zebras, gazelles, and impala are common sights and the migration of wildebeest through the area has already  begun. Our Maasai guide closes in on our first big sighting which is a pride of lions feeding lazily behind the shelter of the tall grass, intently aware of their tumbling cubs only a few feet away. We continue on, checking off the elephant and buffalo, as well as quite a few others including giraffes, hyenas and hippos. Before our adventure is over we come face to face with two cheetahs feeding on a freshly sacrificed zebra, with a third standing guard close by. The sight was nothing less than magnificent.
While everyone’s experiences are different, I would like to think that at least once in everyone’s life they have come across something so striking in nature that they are completely and fully overcome by the sheer beauty and power of what is in front of them. While I must admit that I am constantly in awe of the natural world around me, traveling to Eastern Africa this summer for my thesis research was an amazing and eye opening experience. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with the Global Water for Sustainability Program (GLOWS) on the Mara River Basin Initiative, a joint collaboration between FIU and WWF-Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office. The program, which is financed by USAID, is working within the basin to improve sustainable water management programs at both the national and transnational level.
 The Mara River Basin (MRB) is an important hydrological system that exists within the confines of Kenya and Tanzania. The basin serves as a valuable input into Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest freshwater lake which forms the headwaters of the River Nile. Unfortunately, changing land use, population growth and shifting weather patterns are placing increasing strain on the hydrology of the basin, affecting both water quality and quantity and therefore the numerous populations that rely on the basin for survival.
For my thesis research, I am investigating water  availability-demand-use within the MRB. This involves quantifying the water demand that exists within the basin from human, livestock and wildlife populations, as well as from hotels, large-scale irrigation and gold-mining activities. The data I collected in the field will be incorporated into a Geographic Information System to produce a better understanding of the cumulative demand of water in the basin, both present and future. As my analysis progresses, I hope to compare these data with historical and projected records of water availability within the Basin to estimate when, and under what conditions, water supply in the Mara River basin might be eclipsed by demand.
 My field work within the MRB involved a good deal of travel throughout the basin and provided me the opportunity to meet with stakeholders, government agencies and NGO’s at all levels. This turned out to be a vital aspect of my research, for the majority of the data I collected was from hand-written documents and records that would have been virtually impossible to track down otherwise. I was also able to gain valuable insight into the changing land-use practices occurring within the basin, mainly from deforestation due to increasing agricultural activity and to see what was being done to combat such degradation.
While I am still in the process of analyzing my data, I am excited to know that this project will help support the Mara River Basin Initiative through an increased understanding of the water demand-use within the basin. I am extremely grateful to both the USDA and to the GLOWS program for their support and funding in this research.
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