My name is Ali Wachu from Lower Tana Delta Conservation
Trust (LTDCT), a community initiated conservation project funded by European
Union through CDTF/BCP to manage, protect and conserve the area’s natural
resources as a way of uplifting the living standards of the local people.
The LTDCT covers an area of approximately 50,000ha with a
population of about 11,000 people comprising of Farmers, Pastoralists and
Fishermen. The Trust area is a unique ecosystem endowed with a variety of
habitat types that include riverine forests, grasslands, woodlands, bush lands,
lakes, mangroves and coastal waters (with coral and sea grass beds) among
others.
This unique diversity of habitat types is reciprocated by the existence
of high diversity of flora and fauna and their life supporting systems thereby
making the area to be one of Kenya’s high biodiversity hotspots.
The high diversity has resulted from a long history of river
dynamics and associated revolutionary processes driven by environmental factors
like water salinity, soil deposition/erosion, topography and coastal influence
that necessitate the formation of river channels, cut-off levees, meanders,
ox-bow lakes and the ever changing micro-topography.
The unique interaction between and amongst flora and fauna
in a dynamic and continuously changing marine and fresh water ecosystems makes
it a special area for evolution of high biological diversity. The habitats and
ecosystems in this area are of high quality because an estimated 80% of the
complex estuarine/deltaic system is intact and functional.
The area is a crucial
breeding ground for many animal species such as the Nile crocodile, the green
turtle, birds, shrimp and crabs. It is also an important ecosystem that acts as
a staging, resting and nesting ground for resident and migratory water birds.
The flood plains also form a crucial dispersal zone for wildlife and livestock
during the dry season. The area has been assigned Eco-regional importance under
the East African Marine Eco-region (EAME) because of its being a system of
diverse wetlands composed of fresh, brackish, saline and marine waters with
associated flora and fauna. It is home to the highest concentration of
Heritiera littolis mangrove species within the region.
The Tana Delta (which the conservancy is part of) is
recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in addition to its importance as a
habitat for both migratory and resident birds.
Over two hundred and seventy
(270) species of birds have been recorded in the delta with some being endemic
and/or threatened. Twenty-two (22) internationally important populations of
water birds have been recorded in the Tana Delta (Bennun and Njoroge, 1999).
Over two hundred and eighty (280) plant species and thirty-five (35) different
mammalian species have been recorded in the area. The Delta has also been
declared as a Ramsar Site and more so the communities of the conservancy are in
the process of establishing a Community Forest Association (CFA). The benefits
of the project to the community include the following:-
1.The conservancy has employed 60 people as Community
Rangers, Tour Guides, Lodge attendants (the Trust are 20% shareholders of the
lodge within the conservancy named Delta Dunes Lodge), watchmen, coxswains and
drivers.
2. The conservancy has also assisted several community
projects such as renovation of Nduru Primary School, payment of 30% community
contribution for the construction of Shirikisho Primary School water tank,
assistance in the preparation of the Bills of Quantities for Semikaro
Dispensary, construction of fish ponds and purchase of water pump for Darga
galgi fish farmers CBO. Delta Dunes Lodge which is within the conservancy also
did the following for the benefit of the Trust and the people; construction of
Chole Nursery School at Darga Galgi, provision of school learning materials and
payment of salary for the nursery school teacher, supply of school learning
materials to all primary schools in the conservancy among others.
3. Provision of school bursaries to needy students from the
conservancy area.
4. The lodge also provides annual scholarships to bright
students from the conservancy area.
The project has provided a ready market for the local arts
and artifacts. Despite the above benefits the conservancy is facing the
following challenges:-
1.
Illegal land acquisition/sale within the
conservancy.
In 1992 a private shrimp aquaculture development
company illegally acquired 10,000 hectares of prime conservation land in the
area (LR. No.17600 and 17601/2) and the Government of Kenya repossessed it
through a Presidential Decree vide Ref. No. OP/9/32a dated 6th October 1993 and
formed the Tana Delta Wetlands Steering Committee (TDWSC) to coordinate land
use planning for the area and finally develop a management plan to ensure
sustainable use of natural resources. The local communities also took
initiatives focusing on the formation of Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
through technical support from EAWLS and KWS. The resultant CBOs were involved
in natural resource conservation, management, utilisation and advocacy within
the same area. The TDWSC did not complete their mandate of developing a
management plan for the area. Due to this the area conservation CBOs merged to
form the Lower Tana Delta Conservation Trust (LTDCT) in order to prepare a
management plan and eventually own the land on behalf of the local community. The
communities have already prepared a land use and a management plan for the
area. All these efforts were being done in order to secure the community land
rights/ownership as per the new constitution. On 22/05/2011 as we were in the
process of preparing the management plan we were surprised by a gazette notice
auctioning the same piece of land (LR 17600 and 17601/2) through the Nation
Newspaper. We then liaised with Government agencies and other stakeholders whereby
a caveat emptor was issued to stop the auction. A delegation was sent to the
then Land Minister Hon. James Orengo and he promised to reply after going
through our records which he never did. We also sent a delegation to the then
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga whereby an inter-ministerial committee being
chaired by his office came to the Tana Delta to solicit for views for the
preparation of a land use and management plan for the entire Delta which a
draft land use and a management plan is ready. As we are waiting for this
committee to complete their Terms of Reference (ToR), we are again surprised by
yet another gazette notice auctioning 1000 acres of land in the conservancy in
the Xpat Link Magazine.
2. Siltation of wetlands in the conservation area due to
accelerated soil erosion from catchment deforestation, overgrazing and river
diversions.
3. Marine water intrusions during high tides of the ocean
due to less volume of water flowing downstream with little force to counter
tidal waters entering through the estuary due to catchments degradation,
damming and prolonged droughts thereby changing the biodiversity of the
conservancy and hence reducing wildlife grazing areas.
4. High concentration
of livestock during dry seasons due to the shrinking river and flood plain
wetlands leading to resource-use conflicts and tribal animosities
5. Uncontrolled land allocation for development projects
whose negative environmental impacts are threatening biodiversity and the
livelihood of dependent communities.
6. Increased human
wildlife conflicts due to drying up of wetlands, loss of fish breeding grounds,
wildlife watering and grazing areas among others.
On behalf of the LTDCT, I wanted to bring the issue of the
Lower Tana Delta to your attention, and I am further requesting the assistance
of the Mangrove Action Project, in any way possible, and perhaps to petition
the Kenyan President Hon. UHURU KENYATTA to:-
1. Nullify of all title deeds within the Lower Tana Delta
Conservancy (LTDCT) including LR 17600, LR 17601/1, LR 17601/2 and LR 25200
2. Land adjudication and allocation so that the local
community can rightfully own this area through the conservancy
3. Development of a memorandum of understanding between
River Tana Water Users from the catchment area all the way to the delta in
order to safeguard the interest of the local people downstream.
Kind Regards,
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