By: David Wakogy
Worth Noting:
- Urban wetlands are disappearing almost ten times faster than rural ones, primarily due to human settlement and infrastructure development. A good example is Nairobi, which was a vast swamp until the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway in 1899. The present-day Central Business District (CBD) was once a swamp.
- The biggest Wetland in Kenya is Yala swamp, covering 8,000 hectares on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, while the smallest is Saiwa Swamp near Kitale, which is also a national park. Saiwa Swamp is home to the sitatunga antelope, a species classified as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The world celebrates World Wetlands Day every year on February 2nd. This important day marks the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, nearly 90% of UN member states, spanning all geographic regions, have joined as Contracting Parties. The Ramsar Convention provides a framework for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources. As of 2024, there are 172 Contracting Parties, with 2,521 designated sites covering approximately 257 million hectares (635 million acres). Ramsar sites are wetlands recognized as internationally significant under this convention.
Of these sites, about 71 are in Africa, and Kenya is home to six Ramsar-designated wetlands: Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and the Tana Delta. These wetlands have gained international recognition primarily due to their rich biodiversity, particularly their populations of waterfowl.
Despite their important ecological and economic value, wetlands are often misunderstood and mismanaged, leading to their rapid decline. Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, with inland wetlands facing the highest risks. These ecosystems include marshes, fens, vernal pools, freshwater swamps, floodplains, peatlands, lakes, and rivers. Wetlands cover about 6% of the Earth’s surface globally, while in Kenya, they account for 3% to 4% of the land area (approximately 14,000 km²), expanding to 6% during rainy seasons. Alarmingly, there are around 12,500 recorded wetlands most of which face the danger of extinction due to human activities around them.
Urban wetlands are disappearing almost ten times faster than rural ones, primarily due to human settlement and infrastructure development. A good example is Nairobi, which was a vast swamp until the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway in 1899. The present-day Central Business District (CBD) was once a swamp.
The biggest Wetland in Kenya is Yala swamp, covering 8,000 hectares on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, while the smallest is Saiwa Swamp near Kitale, which is also a national park. Saiwa Swamp is home to the sitatunga antelope, a species classified as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
As a Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention, Kenya has a herculean responsibility to protect its wetlands for posterity and as the lifeline of citizens survival.
Public awareness about the importance of wetlands is urgently needed, as many people remain unaware of their vital role in ecological and human well-being. Wetlands provide multiple benefits, including water regulation, where they store and release water, helping to mitigate floods and droughts. They also play a crucial role in water quality protection by filtering pollutants and maintaining groundwater quality, a vital source of drinking water.
Wetlands contribute to climate change mitigation, with peatlands alone storing about 30% of global soil carbon, preventing atmospheric overheating. Additionally, they support biodiversity conservation by serving as biological hotspots that sustain diverse plant and animal species. These ecosystems also provide essential natural resources such as food, energy, medicine, and building materials. Beyond their ecological significance, wetlands contribute to economic support by sustaining fisheries and other livelihoods, thereby boosting local economies. However, due to urban wetland destruction in Kenya, groundwater quality continues to decline, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases in urban populations.
This year’s World Wetlands Day National Event takes place at the Alliance High School under the theme of “protecting wetlands for our common future.” This reminds every citizen that we all have a role to play, with the government of Kenya playing a bigger role in ensuring that sustainable frameworks for wetlands protection and wise use are put into place.
The Government of the Republic of Kenya should establish a state department of wetlands with the overall responsibility of safeguarding these important ecosystems. This has been possible in countries like Ghana, Indonesia, and South Korea. Regional bodies such as the East African Commission should emulate the EU, which has put in place a unified legal system for wetland protection and management. The EU also uses the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands as a basis for domestic law.
The Government should also work with local communities to establish conservation policies and frameworks that will help save these wetlands. A good example is Ondiri Wetland, the venue of the 2022 and 2025 WWD national events, where an organization called Friends of Ondiri Wetland has successfully managed this subterranean peatbog since 2016 with the support of multisectoral state and non-state actors.
Ondiri Wetland, which is the furthest source of the biggest river basin in the Republic of Kenya and the source of the Nairobi River with over 40 streams forming its headwaters, is also the biggest water reservoir in Kikuyu constituency. Its successful conservation demonstrates the power of community-driven wetland protection.
To secure wetlands for future generations, both policymakers and citizens must take action. Strengthened legal frameworks, increased public awareness, and active community engagement are crucial to ensuring the sustainability of these invaluable ecosystems.
David Wakogy,
Founder and Coordinator
Friends of Ondiri Wetland
dwakogy@gmail.com
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About the Author
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