There is some very good news for the Tana River Delta. The global importance of the Delta has been recognised by its designation as a Ramsar site. In the world of wetland conservation the Ramsar designation is the Oscar, Nobel Prize and gold medal all rolled into one.
In a statement from the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands secretariat, the Assistant Advisor for Africa Ms Ako Charlotte Eyong described the delta as the second most important estuarine and deltaic ecosystem in Eastern Africa, which permits diverse hydrological functions and a rich biodiversity.
Serah Munguti (Nature Kenya’s Advocacy and Communication Manager) is delighted by the news “This is a milestone in conservation efforts in Kenya and we are hoping that many other wetlands get listed as they provide vital environmental services”,
The Tana River Delta is one of the most neglected regions in Kenya, where the majority of people live below the poverty line. Not long ago this blog brought you worrying news of violent conflict in the Delta, driven by land hunger and the pressures on local communities. Our friends and colleagues in Nature Kenya (the country’s BirdLife International Partner) were stepping up to help local people.
We’ve had on update from Serah Munguti ‘In the Delta, things are starting to calm down and farmers are preparing for the planting season which is actually here with us. We have distributed approximately a ton of flour and 240 litres of cooking oil to 400 families in the Delta’.
This involvement with local people is not new; Nature Kenya has worked with communities for six years to promote ecological sustainability in the Tana River Delta.
In addition to being an internationally important area for birds and wildlife, the Tana River Delta is vital for the herders who depend on the water and grasslands during the dry season, the farmers who cultivate rice, mangoes and other crops and the fishermen who fish from its lakes and watercourses.
The Ramsar Convention on wetlands of International Importance was adopted in 1971 and takes its name from the Iranian city of Ramsar which hosted the conference. You can find out more about the Ramsar Convention here.
Nature Kenya is collaborating with the Office of the Prime Minister to develop a land-use plan which will lead to long-term sustainable management of the Tana River Delta – find out more here.
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