Africa’s wetland ecosystems have multiple resources, which are essential for supporting economic development, livelihoods and poverty reduction. Wetlands are particularly important for water supply, fisheries, livestock... [ view full abstract ]
Africa’s wetland ecosystems have multiple resources, which are essential for supporting economic development, livelihoods and poverty reduction. Wetlands are particularly important for water supply, fisheries, livestock production and wildlife conservation. The African savannah with its numerous wetlands, especially rivers, shallow lakes and flood plains support large herds of livestock and wildlife. Kenya’s Amboseli Man and Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 5,700 Km² and stretches between Mt. Kilimanjaro, Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West National Park and the Kenya/Tanzania border. This area is generally semi-arid with little climatic variation but with abundant natural vegetation, which supports traditional pastoralism. It has high potential for conservation of wildlife and development of tourism enterprises. The ecosystem supports large concentration of wildlife in Amboseli national Park as well as livestock and pastoralists outside the park throughout the year. This is made possible by the presence of an extensive network of wetlands, including streams, swamps and springs, which provide permanent water sources. The major wetlands Kimana-Kirankot swamp and Nolturesh river systems. There are also equally important springs and swamps, such as Namelok, which support horticulture production and serve as critical dry season grazing areas and water sources for both wildlife and livestock. However, the wetlands within the park are degraded due to large concentrations of wildlife and occasionally livestock. The wetlands outside the park are threatened by siltation, overgrazing of livestock, burning of wetland vegetation and human encroachment through fencing and irrigation agriculture. There is therefore need to avert further degradation of wetlands and water resources in the ecosystem, which can limit wildlife dispersal and restrict animals to the park with catastrophic impacts to the environment. However, there are opportunities for engaging the local community and external supporters in wetland conservation and management, assessing available water resources, controlling water pollution, carrying out environmental audits, protecting critical water sources, and supporting establishment of water resource users associations within the Amboseli Biosphere Reserve.
