Saving wetlands to support livelihoods and wildlife

In the rangelands of northern Kenya, the wellbeing of humans, wildlife, and ecosystems is constrained by the limited availability of water. Like many other ecosystems in the region, the capacity of the Gambella wetlands north of Mount Kenya to deliver vital ecosystem services to people, livestock, and wild animals has dramatically declined. The causes include economic development, population growth, and climate change. Several interventions by government and international development organizations have failed to reverse this vicious trend. The ineffectiveness of past and current governance and management systems has led to a “tragedy of the commons” situation where the most powerful actors dominate utilization of the available natural resources. The most vulnerable local communities are farther marginalized, ecosystem services are threatened, and conflicts are intensifying. This calls for innovative governance, technological and financial solutions for water and landscape governance and management to be collectively identified, designed, and implemented.

East Africa Challenge — Photo by: Samira Stalder

Our goal

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To secure sustainable spring water contributions to dry season flow in the lower Ewaso N’giro river, for the mutual benefit of ecosystems, wildlife, and people.

Co-design of solutions and wetland stewardship

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CETRAD, as the key partner of the Wyss Academy in Kenya, has established an inclusive and broad stakeholder engagement process to co-design innovative solutions for the integrated development and management of the Waso Mara sub-catchment and the Gambella wetlands. Informed by local knowledge and in-depth ecological, hydrological, and socioeconomic research conducted as part of this initiative, we developed a joint vision for the future of the sub-catchment and the wetlands, and we are crafting complementary pathways to achieve it.

Projects underway

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Socio-technical innovations for just sustainable governance of the Gambella wetlands
The aim of this intervention, implemented in partnership with CETRAD, is to develop a model for the restoration and management of sub-catchments, wetlands, and springs in the semi-arid lands of Kenya. A major achievement in 2022 was that the water resource user association (WRUA) in charge of the Waso Mara sub-catchment is now officially recognized by the government, and has been reformed to be more transparent, inclusive, and able to deliver its mandate. The engagement and co-design activities resulted in an integrated sub-catchment management plan for Waso Mara WRUA (2022–2032) that was published in 2022 and is recognized and approved by the involved communities and the respective government agencies. This plan guides the launch and implementation of further activities of the WA in the Waso Mara sub-catchment in areas such as the protection of the springs and wetlands in Gambella, diversification of livelihoods through sustainable harvesting and marketing of dryland gums and resins, and removal of unpalatable invasive plant species to help restore rangelands.