The world is facing climate and nature crises, yet we keep ignoring one of the most effective solutions – healthy wetlands
The global community once again comes together this week in commemoration of World Wetlands Day under the banner 'It is time for Wetlands restoration', which couldn’t have been timelier particularly for us as a country.
It is worth reminding each of us that the economic and social well-being of most Kenyans is directly linked to the wetlands. From food production, energy, industries and water services to housing, among other key sectors of the economy that run and roll on water, wetlands are the be-all and end-all.
Of all the earth, just 2.5 per cent is freshwater, and most of that is locked up in ice or deep underground. Lakes, rivers, swamps and springs only hold a tiny fraction of this–yet it is this small portion that life on earth depends on.
For Kenya – a water-scarce country with less than 500 cubic metres of available water per capita per annum against the global average of 1,000 cubic metres – fresh water sources are swiftly becoming fewer and far between. This is the reason we should jealously protect the few remaining wetlands in order to dodge the much-dreaded climate and nature crises that now loom large.
Too often, wetlands in the country have been seen either as dumping pits, virgin croplands, hindrances to infrastructural development or as pipes for water in homes and industries rather than rich ecological resources providing immeasurable societal and economic benefits.
Severe impacts of climate change manifesting currently across the country in the form of drought, massive crop failures and deaths of livestock and wildlife only give a glimpse to the biting crises awaiting us ahead if we lost our wetlands today. In retrospect, climate impacts are felt largely through freshwater and biodiversity veins.
In 2016, in the middle of a prolonged drought, tens of flower farms and hotels along the shores of Lake Naivasha were forced to shut operations for months after water levels in the lake receded sharply. Flows of rivers feeding the lake had also reduced drastically.
Many workers lost their jobs in the process and the country also lost huge revenues running into billions of shillings. That everyone and their economic activities depend on wetlands having water in good quantity and quality can never be overemphasised.
Meanwhile, there is a dearth of information on the status of wetlands, though a cursory look at a few known wetlands paints a grim picture of degradation and neglect. Kenya has legal instruments for protecting wetlands but these are scantly applied and or complied with as impunity continues to hold many of us back.
Nonetheless, there is renewed call and a glimpse of hope as environmental-conscious organisations such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Kenya) continue to build coalitions with other stakeholders, including the local communities, in inclusive transformative conservation.
They are also enhancing sustainable land use practices to safeguard a number of critical wetlands in Kenya, including lakes Naivasha and Nakuru and even rivers and springs to support the government to realise its obligation under the Ramsar Convention.
The complementary efforts to propel Kenya towards a green economic pathway and address increasing climate and water risks have been boosted recently after WWF-Kenya partnered with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Egerton University and Kenya Water and Sanitation Civil Society Network to roll out water awareness advocacy campaigns.
They also reiterate the need for innovative and climate-smart water investments. We recognise that beyond supporting livelihoods and biodiversity, wetlands also support businesses massively, the reason the business community should lose sleep at the slightest mention of degraded wetlands.
Through the efforts, there have been strategic engagements with water service providers on why they should consider a new business model that integrates water resource management that allows for blended finance to support catchment and wetland management.
Without a proper understanding of biodiversity-related financial and industry risks, it is nearly impossible for investors to understand where and how they should be changing their practices and investing in conservation and restoration of nature.
Companies need to know how they should prioritise their resources to make sure they are both managing their nature-related risks and at the same time achieving the best possible outcomes.
The conscientious efforts will be broadened to ensure policymakers are alive to Integrated Water Resources principles and pillars, and the urgent need for restoration of wetlands and water-smart sustainable development in Kenya
“The world is facing climate and nature crises, yet we keep ignoring one of the most effective solutions – healthy wetlands,” Dr Kirsten Schuijt, director general, WWF International
Freshwater thematic lead at WWF-Kenya
