Author: the EANHS

“It’s not enough to talk about development, what is the benefit of development to local communities? It’s about identity, it’s about ownership, it’s about rights, it’s about access, it’s about representation, it’s about involvement in decision making, it’s about values derived from wise use of resources, it’s about fairness and equity in distribution of benefits accrued from investments, it’s about taking charge to ensure sustainability, most of all, it’s about perpetuating our heritage,” said Thomas Achando, the recently elected Chairperson of the Yala Swamp ICCA management committee who also sits in the Luo Council of Elders.

Yala Swamp, located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Victoria, is a Key Biodiversity Area and a proposed Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance. For thousands of fisherfolk and farming communities who depend on it, it’s their “gold”, as they fondly call it. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant decline in the abundance of natural resources due to a number of threats, including over-exploitation, encroachment, habitat degradation, climate change and high levels of poverty.

Through a multi-stakeholder approach, Nature Kenya worked with local communities and the Siaya and Busia county governments to develop a Land Use Plan (LUP) to balance the various interests and address the threats to the wetland. To kick start the implementation of the LUP, multi-agency stakeholders with support from Nature Kenya established an 8,404ha Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA) at the heart of Yala Swamp.

The ICCA constitutes natural areas surrounded by open-access farming and grazing land, riverine forest and papyrus wetland. Guided by a management plan with technical backstopping from the government, the ICCA will be managed for multiple-use for the benefit of important cultural values and biodiversity, as well as ecotourism, farmers, livestock herders, fisherfolk and island dwellers. The ICCA will guarantee a continued flow of ecosystem services to enable production and ensure development overall is sustainable.

“Those are the striking features about the Yala Swamp ICCA model. I’m happy to take up leadership that will deliver the vision for local inhabitants of Yala Swamp through a balanced all-inclusive approach”, says Achando.

Meanwhile, Yala Ecosystem Site Support Group, the local community conservation champions, have intensified awareness campaigns to rally support for the LUP and ICCA through chief’s barazas and on vernacular radio station Bulala FM, in Budalang’i, Busia County. The forums have been quite instrumental for community members to ask questions, seek advice and clarification and allay fears held by local community members.

“When I received news about a meeting from my village elder with the agenda being our swamp, I was disturbed. Issues concerning Yala swamp have always been jinxed, from history, so I hardly slept at night. I was anticipating the worst, my intuition told me that we were going to lose our rights to access land for subsistence farming, because who cares about the vulnerable?” said one elderly woman from Usonga, Siaya county, during a sensitization meeting at Mlambo village in early January 2021.

“We are thankful for the information we’ve been provided with. Through the Land Use Plan we have a roadmap to finding lasting solutions for issues affecting Yala swamp. I can’t wait for the County Assemblies to give their nod of approval for the Yala Swamp Land Use Plan,” added the elderly woman.

To enhance ownership of biodiversity conservation at the village level, Nature Kenya is supporting formation of Village Natural Resource and Land Use Committees (VNRLUCs) in all the swamp-adjacent villages. VNRLUCs will facilitate governance, conservation and development actions and diversify sustainable livelihoods in line with the ICCA model.

The lush, green fields make it difficult to imagine the calamities that Idsowe village within the vast Tana River Delta experiences whenever floods or drought strike.

The Tana River Delta is a land of alternating flood and drought. In the old days, people moved when disaster struck. This is no longer feasible. So today, farmers and pastoralists are adopting ambitious climate-smart agriculture projects geared towards improving livelihoods, resilience to climate change, and conserving the 130,000-hectare Tana River Delta.

Tana River Delta is one of the most important wetland ecosystems in East Africa. The Delta spreads out to cover parts of Tana River and Lamu counties, comprising of flood plains, riverine forests, mangrove systems, savannas, grasslands, lakes and pristine beaches, that form a network of natural and productive areas like Idsowe.

With over 350 species of birds, including globally important large flocks or “congregations”, Tana River Delta is a Key Biodiversity Area and a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance). Tana River Delta is also home to two globally endangered monkeys: the Tana River Red Colobus and the Tana River Crested Mangabey.

When undisturbed, the Delta acts like a sponge, absorbing floods, storing water, something that makes it lush and green even during the dry season. Today, with climate change increasing the severity of droughts and floods, and people unable to move elsewhere, Tana Delta is experiencing challenges. This is the reason why ambitious initiatives like chilli farming, bee-keeping, fish ponds and mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture in production systems are taking root under the REBUILD project.

The project seeks to contribute towards increased resilience of communities in arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) areas of Kenya to drought and other effects of climate change. This is done through enhancing food and nutrition security of vulnerable households, especially for women and children, generating sustainable livelihoods and protecting productive assets in Tana River County. Funded by the European Union (EU), the REBUILD project is implemented by CISP in collaboration with Nature Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority, GROOTS and Procasur.

“Part of solving the problems the Delta residents are facing is mainstreaming climate-smart agriculture. Farmers can choose crops that withstand the changing climate to boost their production. Livestock farmers can choose the right breeds to boost productivity while minimizing the negative impact on the environment,” says Nature Kenya Executive Director Dr Paul Matiku.

“For the first time, our group comprising of 133 members tried out chilli farming after Nature Kenya provided us with the seeds,” says Milcah Amaro, the chairperson of Harakisa group. “Thirty-five active members planted chilli in quarter-acre plots on their farms in July 2019. By December that year, the crop was ready for the market. In a good month, one can make between Ksh 12,000 to 15,000,”.

Despite frequent floods that have been ravaging the delta and flooding farms, Harakisa Group members continue to prepare parcels of land away from the previous fields for chilli farming.

“Previously, we used to farm crops like maize, but the production kept dwindling. Coupled with frequent floods and droughts, it became difficult to cope until chilli farming came along. This has since reduced dependency on forest products, especially trees, where some people had resorted to cutting trees and burning charcoal to earn a living,” says Dorcas Helbon, a chilli farmer.

Ismael Komoro from Handaraku says the introduction of the Galla goat breed is a step towards improving productivity for goat farmers. Nature Kenya has distributed 180 male Galla goats.

“Unlike the breed we have, Galla goats are big, meaning a farmer can get more profit by keeping a few goats of this breed,” Komoro says. Having fewer but more productive goats also means less pressure on the Delta, hence less degradation.

Residents on the lower side of the Tana Delta, in Ozi and Mpeketoni villages, are conserving mangroves and dryland forests as they engage in rice and fish farming. The fish farming project is supporting fourteen fish ponds in Ozi.

“Fish farming in Ozi will solve challenges of overfishing within the mangroves, which are fish breeding zones,” says George Odera, Nature Kenya’s Tana Delta project manager. “A lot of fishing has been going on in the mangrove areas as most local fishers cannot access the deep sea due to lack of proper gear. Fish farming in ponds will give a lifeline to these communities while also conserving the critical mangrove forests and breeding zones.”

“Nature Kenya previously supported us with fingerlings to restock our six ponds. The Department of Fisheries stepped in to train us on how to make feeds. Fishing is now manageable for the 50 farmers under this group. In July we harvested 2,400 kilograms of fish which we sold for Ksh. 200 a kilo, translating to Ksh. 480,000,” says Abdallah Hassan Mohammed, the secretary of Moto Fish farmers in Ozi.

For farmers in the Delta, getting certified seeds has been one of their biggest challenges. Nature Kenya has stepped in to distribute certified seeds and incorporated extension officers who visit farmers to enhance mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture in production systems.

Rice farming within Ozi and Mpeketoni villages received a boost after 247 farmers received 4,720 kilogrammes of rice seed. Farmers expect to boost their production while conserving the critical mangrove and dryland forests.

“Although we are yet to harvest, we can see the difference of the certified seeds distributed by Nature Kenya from the ones we normally plant. They are also fast-maturing,” says Godhana Chalalu Dhadho, a rice seed beneficiary.

Mary Mwende, a beneficiary of climate-smart agriculture training, says the introduction of certified maize seeds in Hurara in Tana Delta has boosted productivity within the area.

“Initially, we thought it was cheaper getting seeds from the old harvest, a situation which resulted in poor production. The latest harvest from the distribution of certified seeds yielded double of what we used to harvest. From the initial three bags we used to harvest from an acre, we currently harvest between 8 to 10 bags,” Mwende says.

Farmer field schools have also been set up, with one being at Minjila near Garsen to enhance mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture. Farmers can walk in and learn best farming practices to adapt to the changing climate.

Nature Kenya is also implementing another project in Tana River Delta: The Restoration Initiative (TRI) Tana Delta. This project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aims at restoring degraded forest landscapes in Tana River and Lamu counties.

Pink spots across the blue-green water; the low grunting sound of thousands of feeding flamingos in the distance –Lake Bogoria’s alkaline water creates a haven for almost a quarter of the world’s Lesser Flamingos after their breeding season in Tanzania’s Lake Natron.

This year, however, as one nears the shore the scene changes – dozens of flamingo carcasses dangle from the branches of dense Prosopis juliflora thickets that blanket the lake’s shores. Some flamingo seem to have lost the fight after struggling to disentangle from the sharp thorns of the low trees.

“It is worrying,” says James Kimaru, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) senior warden at Lake Bogoria National Reserve. “Tens of flamingos are dying from being trapped by Prosopis bushes while attempting to either land or take off,”

Prosopis juliflora, a kind of mesquite, is an aggressive invader that replaces native vegetation, especially in dry areas where there is seasonal flooding.. It is ranked among top 100 invasive species globally, ravaging other arid and semi-arid areas of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, West Africa, Australia, and other countries.

The plant was introduced in Kenya in the 1970s to rehabilitate the Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASALs), due to its resilience, fast growth rate and edible pods. Here it became known as ‘Mathenge’.

Prosopis does not normally grow on the shores of strongly alkaline or saline lakes, and flamingos can use the muddy shores dusted with white soda ash for takeoff and landing. In the past decade of heavy rain and catchment degradation, however, many alkaline lakes have flooded and become fresher. Prosopis became established in the shallow, relatively fresh water along the edges of the lakes.

“Flamingos prefers shallow water near the shores, which unfortunately has been taken over by Prosopis. This becomes a challenge whenever the birds are landing or taking off,” Richard Kipng’eno, Birding and Membership officer at Nature Kenya says.

Lake Bogoria has expanded by 7 square kilometre from its original size. The rising water levels have submerged administration offices and the gate of the \national reserve.

“Prosopis has also created navigational challenges in some parts of Lake Baringo,” Kipng’eno adds. “During the recent waterbird counts at Lake Baringo, we experienced some difficulties in manoeuvring boats through the Prosopis thickets.”

Large concentrations of Prosopis are to be found in Tana River, Turkana and Baringo counties. The invasive Prosopis has also colonised parts of Taita Taveta, Malindi, Samburu, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Kajiado and Migori counties.

The plant has also been documented to have invaded some of Kenya’s important wetlands including River Tana Delta in Tana River County, Lorian Swamp (Isiolo/Garissa Counties) Lengurruahanga swamp (Kajiado) among others.

Prosopis charcoal is highly rated, but it is very difficult to cut the hard wood of the spreading, thorny trees.

Water levels continue to rise in the Rift Valley lakes. As a result, the alkalinity of some of the lakes is dropping. Changes in the lakes’ chemistry are causing a shift in the ecology of alkaline lakes, whose pH levels have decreased. The adjacent terrestrial habitats have also been affected, with large portions submerged in water. This impacts the carrying capacity for larger mammals in small, fenced protected areas like Lake Nakuru National Park.

Birds are key indicator species of changes in the environment. During the January waterbird census, large flocks of flamingos were observed at the oxygenation ponds in Nakuru, and a smaller flock at the Dandora sewage treatment plant in Ruai, Nairobi. This suggests that flamingos are seeking alternative habitats because of reduced food supply in the alkaline lakes.

At the Nakuru Sewage Treatment plant sitting adjacent to Lake Nakuru, more Lesser Flamingos were observed than on Lake Nakuru itself. Out of the total 6,000 Lesser Flamingos counted on both the ponds and the lake, 4,000 birds were recorded at the sewage treatment ponds. The Dandora treatment ponds recorded 40 Lesser Flamingos.

Waste stabilization ponds are well-suited for the tropics thanks to the high intensity of the sunlight and high temperatures which are important in the wastewater treatment processes. If other counties work towards achieving efficient wastewater treatment processes, especially for the urban centres, there could be alternative feeding habitat for Lesser Flamingos in times of crisis.

During January, Lesser Flamingos have also been reported on Lake Ol’Bolossat – a freshwater lake in Nyandarua County – in Amboseli National Park, on Athi Dam in Nairobi National Park, and on Lake Simbi Nyaima, Nyangweso Irrigation scheme and Ondago swamp in Homa Bay county.

The Waterbird census should be conducted consistently at traditional counting sites and observers should report opportunistic feeding areas for Lesser Flamingos in the country.