What’s new in Kenya wetlands conservation?

The Kenya Wetlands Forum continues to be a watchdog for Kenya’s wetlands. Holding monthly meetings enables members to stay informed of the ongoing activities aimed at conserving and protecting the wetlands. KWF met on 31 March 2011 and several important updates were discussed.

Tana River Delta

A court case filed by the community with the support of some organisational members of the KWF late last year was mentioned at the Nairobi High Courts on 4th April 2011. There were no detailed proceedings as Mumias Sugar Company, one of the interested developers who wish to grow sugar cane in the delta, requested to be enjoined in the case as an interested party. The case seeks to stop the government from implementing any development projects until a comprehensive master plan for land use, development, livelihood and biodiversity ecological protection is developed in consultation with all stakeholders.

This court case was heard in private court chambers and thus the more than 30 Tana community members who came to court could not follow the proceedings as they were locked out. Out of the six defendants (Attorney General, National Environmental Management Authority, Tana and Athi River Development Authority, Tana River County Council, Commissioner of Lands and Water Resources Management Authority) four were represented as the Atorney General was not represented. The Tana River County Council had neither submitted their defence papers nor sent a representative.

The Ramsar Centre for East Africa Strategic Framework for 2011-2020

The Kenya Wildlife Service is currently collecting feedback and comments from stakeholders to add to the Ramsar Centre for East Africa (RAMCEA) Draft Strategic Framework developed last year in consultation with each of the countries in the region. The RAMCEA was established in 2002 after the Ramsar Convention parties agreed to support regional initiatives formed by parties with geographical congruence. RAMCEA aims to support the East African Contracting Parties, non-contracting parties and other stakeholders to improve their capacity to implement the Convention in their respective countries and institutions.

The centre is hosted by the Wetlands Management Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda. Each East African country is expected to participate in the process of developing the strategic framework for the East African region. During the 10th Conference of Parties a decision to strengthen regional initiatives that support conservation on wetlands was made and this planning is geared towards such conservation.

Mapping Kenya’s wetlands

The first draft of the atlas of wetlands in Kenya is expected to be published in the next two months. The process of conducting a countrywide mapping of wetlands has been on-going since October 2010 with the broad objective of developing an Atlas of Wetlands in Kenya in order to support informed decision-making in the sustainable management of wetlands. The recommendations for sound management that come out of this exercise  will inform the current draft National Wetlands Policy, and other policies or legislation affecting wetlands and water catchments.