Leonard Omondi Akwany

Strategic and Multi-stakeholders Advocacy for Yala Wetland Community Conservation Area and Ramsar Site, Kenya

Lake Kanyaboli, Yala Wetland.

Monitoring Team of Local Volunteers.

Yala wetland complex which is the largest papyrus wetland in Kenya known for its endemic birds and satellite lakes holding endemic fish species that long disappeared in Lake Victoria is facing human threats such as wetland reclamation for agriculture, papyrus over-harvesting for crafts industries, burning for fishing and settlement. These threaten its existence and linked ecosystem services key to biodiversity conservation and grass-root livelihoods security. Ecofinder Kenya through first RSG managed to undertake baseline survey, conservation education and awareness on imperative of Yala wetland, training of schools nature club patrons, training of conservation volunteers on wetland monitoring and surveillance, establishment of detailed monitoring protocol and scheme and vouching for sustainable alternative livelihoods.

This second proposal is informed by the aforementioned work on the need for declaration of Yala wetland as community conservation area and ramsar site to enhance its conservation status. This second project purposes to advocate for declaration of Yala wetland as Community Conservation Area (CCA) as provided for by Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA, 1999) and Ramsar site through stakeholders forum to provide consultative framework or road map, mobilize and educate grass-root wetland communities on the imperatives of CCA and Ramsar site for the case of Yala wetland, facilitate Lake Victoria Wetland Basin Forum (LVWBF) to enable multi-stakeholders advocacy and practical interventions for the conservation of Yala Wetland and other Lake Victoria Wetlands and promote best practices at wetland community households level to eliminate human pressure on the wetland.

Project Aim

To mobilize stakeholders and advocate for declaration of Yala wetland as community conservation area and ramsar site to enhance its conservation status.

Specific project objectives
a. To advocate for declaration of Yala wetland as community conservation area and Ramsar site through stakeholders forum and village barazas

b. To mobilize and educate grass-root wetland communities on the imperatives of community conservation area and Ramsar site for the case of Yala wetland.

c. To facilitate Lake Victoria Wetland Basin Forum (LVWBF) to enable multi-stakeholders advocacy and practical interventions for the conservation of Yala Wetland and other Lake Victoria Wetlands.

d. To promote best practices at wetland community households level to eliminate human pressure on the wetland.

Read about Leonard's previous work http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/leonard_omondi_akwany or for further information contact ecofinder@yahoo.com or ecofinder@ecofinderkenya.org or visit www.ecofinderkenya.org