Challenges and Lessons Learnt on Community Based Wetland Management.

Abstract

Wetland conservation is a young science and its management largely depends on adaptive management approaches. Challenges and lessons learnt in a community based management of Nyando Wetland therefore form one of the most important outcomes of the Nyando Wetland Resource Utility Optimization Project. This chapter gives a comprehensive breakdown of the challenges faced as market failures, lack of institutional framework, policy failures, lack of baseline information and awareness among stakeholders, and unclear land tenure and ownership within wetland ecosystems. Other challenges include inadequate funding of wetland conservation initiatives, inadequate community participation, variability of climatic conditions, lack of political goodwill and lack of wetland management plans to guide towards wise use of wetlands. Several lessons were learnt in this initiative which could guide future interventions in the basin. These include taking care to ensure participatory approaches and mainstreaming of gender in order to reduce resource use conflicts, and careful selection of alternative livelihood activities. Others include designing project activities with complete knowledge of the attitude of the community towards the resource in question and the level of literacy of the stakeholders. Leadership skills of the community and their leaders and copying with Climate Change must also be manipulated to ensure attainment of conservation goals. It is also important to share information, identify all stakeholders and form partnerships for collective success.