CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ACTIVITIES IN KIMANA WETLAND AND ITS ENVIRONS
The surrounding area of the Kimana Wetland in Oloitokitok in south-eastern Kenya is one of the places that are highly experiencing the scourge of Climate Change. Compounded by the increase in population and the rapid development of the town of Kimana the unique biodiversity of the area is even more threatened to be exhausted in the coming years.
Due to the increasing temperature in the Kimana Region and the destruction of the environment , the surrounding rivers and swamps are drying up, generators are seen everywhere to extract water from the rivers to feed the increasing acres of farmlands in the area leaving the community downstream to settle for too little water and to look for other sources in distant areas for their daily needs wasting more productive time, plunging the communities more into poverty and fuels for more wildlife-human conflicts on the surrounding environs.
Generators used to extract water from a river in Kimana to be used as irrigation to various farmlands in the area
Because of the impact of Climate Change in Kimana Wetland and its environs, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) together with Noomayianat Community Development Organization (NCDO) and Kimana Wetland Association (KWA) embarked a series of activities to mitigate the effects of Climate Change.
Communities downstream are force to settle for less and contaminated water because of intensive irrigation farming upstream.
Below are the two significant activities that were taken last December 2010 and January 2011:
1. PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE ON LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MEETING IN KIMANA.
Members of the parliament were able to have a dialogue with the different stakeholders around Kimana Wetland last 10th December 2010. This is a milestone for the conservation of the wetland since out of all the wetlands in Kenya, the challenges in conservation of the Kimana swamp will serve as a guide for further discussion in the parliament. Kimana has gone into records at the national level. There is also a sense of hope that the problems that were laid out will be given priority for action.
The major challenges in conservation in the Kimana Wetlands are:
- Encroachment of farmers to wetland areas (wetland conversion for agricultural purposes).
- Extensive agro-pastoralism which pave way to the destruction of habitats such as the draining of swamps and rivers.
- High poverty level resulting to over exploitation of natural resources.
- The lack of initiatives and sense of urgency from government officials to implement conservation laws and policies within the area.
- Widespread diversion of water upstream for agriculture.
The members of the parliament also take a study tour within the area to capture the sites with specific issues like water abstraction, pollution, resources use and conflict etc. During the tour they were able to see a lot of illegal generators that were used in diverting water to the farmlands. And they were even surprised that no actions were done from responsible government agencies in Oloitokitok to stop these activities.
After the visit of the members of the parliament, AWF, NCDO and KWA are hopeful that the government will soon declare the Kimana Wetland as well as the rivers and streams that feed it as protected areas of environmental significance for their ecological importance and as a source for sustainable livelihood to the local communities.
2. TREE PLANTING ACTIVITIES IN KIMANA, ISINET, ILCHALAI AND TIKONDO, OLOITOKITOK DISTRICT.
Last December 2010, and January 2011, as part of the project for Climate Change adaptation in the Kimana Wetland, Noomayianat Community Development Organization and the Kimana Wetland Association were able to plant and distribute to schools and communities a total of 3,150 indigenous seedlings in Kimana, Isinet, Ilchalai and Tikondo in Oloitokitok District.
This activity aims to increase vegetation cover as part of the strategy to combat the effects of Climate Change.
Schools officials, teachers and students as well as the communities were given the chance to participate to sensitize them on the importance of trees and to utilize them to protect the seedlings until they are fully mature.
Tree Planting at Isinet Primary School, Oloitokitok District Kenya
Teachers and students at Isinet Primary School in Oloitokitok participates on the tree planting activities. They also pledge to take care the seedlings until they fully mature.
Part of the indigenous seedlings that were distributed to Ilchalai Primary School in Oloitokitok
Seedlings planted are protected by the thorny twigs and branches of acacia from livestock and wild animals in Ilchalai, Oloitokitok.
The two activities to combat the effects of Climate Change in Kimana were funded by African Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with Noomayianat Community Development Organization and the Kimana Wetland Association.
