Poor coordination by wetland management organizations and an equally tricky test of balancing development projects and wetland conservation hurt regional endeavors on wise use of wetlands.

This is the common view by regional experts from the Kampala-based Ramsar Center for Eastern Africa (RAMCEA) who recently met in Kigali to share experiences and challenges on wetlands preservation in the East African Community (EAC).

The EAC also has budget limitations since, generally, attempts to increase budget contributions for the cause have been futile. "We need to evaluate ourselves in the five EAC states. How are we doing in terms of our contributions to the budget?” RAMCEA Regional Coordinator, Paul Mafabi, asked during deliberations.

During the Conference of signatories to the Ramsar Convention, an international environmental event, in Korea in 2008, Mafabi recalled, African countries agreed to make voluntary contributions – in addition to their statutory obligations – but later, they absconded on the voluntary contributions.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing their basic ecological functions as well as their economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value.

Under the Convention, countries contribute 1,000 Swiss francs (about Rwf715,000) annually. 

Rwanda’s land ordeal

Rwanda has established policies and strategies on the wise use of wetlands and in 2010 received the internationally renowned ‘Green Globe Award’ for its efforts in restoring the Rugezi highland wetland, a "unique” Ramsar site. Rwanda is now selecting new Ramsar sites, including Akagera, Kamiranzovu and Rweru-Mugesera complex as it looks to have four Ramsar sites soon, said Theogene Ngaboyamahina, an environmental mainstreaming officer.

Rwanda, Ngaboyamahina acknowledged, has distinctive challenges shared with other countries because the environment has no border. 

"One is in relocation of infrastructure located in wetlands.”

In addition, the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is "struggling” to raise awareness so that communities respect a 20-metre buffer zone from wetland boundaries. He furthermore noted that wetland restoration is costly and the impact of climate change on wetlands is real.

With about 415 people per square kilometer, Rwanda’s troubles also include balancing wetland management efforts in the face of land scarcity. Over 80 per cent of the population directly depends on agriculture for income.

"We must balance economic development and wetland management. We need to join hands in wetland restoration; look into how we can have joint projects which help all EAC communities. A common framework in raising funds could help our cause,” Ngaboyamahina said.

Kenya’s milestones and troubles

On a positive note, Dr. Samuel Kasiki, chief scientist at Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said Kenya’s constitution is strong on environment conservation and spells out measures to preserve the environment. In 2012, Tana River Delta, one of Kenya’s top three most important freshwater wetland systems, was designated as a Ramsar site.

The Delta is the second most important estuarine and deltaic ecosystem in Eastern Africa, permitting varied hydrological functions and a rich biodiversity.

Nevertheless, Dr. Kasiki admitted, Kenya’s challenges include the fact that the role that wetlands play is "not common knowledge to everyone,” especially legislators.

"Despite policies meant to protect the environment being in the constitution, many policy makers do not fully understand why these areas need to be protected.

Sensitization, awareness creation and education need to be enhanced because as long as people who determine the allocation of funds are not in full support of our efforts, then we face difficulties,” said Kasiki.

Some wetlands, Dr. Kasiki added, are not only beneficial to the EAC. They serve "the global economy” since they are staging grounds for migratory bird species from other continents.

Uganda’s oil headache 

In Uganda, the focus in the last three years included demarcation and restoration of wetlands, development of frameworks and community based management plans to guide local communities. There too, awareness and education continues, said Lucy Ann Iyango, Assistant Commissioner Wetlands in the Ministry of Water and Environment.

But apart from struggling to "balance development needs and conservation,” Uganda’s challenges include: weak enforcement although they have an environment protection task force; a continuing disconnect between investment projects and conservation; and conflicting policies.

"We have an ongoing program for irrigation yet we also have a national program for wetlands restoration,” Iyango said.

The discovery of oil, "an extractive industry with mega impact,” is another challenge. 

"For Uganda, oil is located on Ramsar sites. Management of Ramsar sites amidst the extractive industries and development projects remains a challenge for us,” said Iyango.

A 2011-2020 strategic plan is being implemented to guide conservation processes. Wetlands were integrated into the national development plan and Uganda’s vision 2040, a cornerstone guiding policy document.

Tanzania

Sadiki Lotha Laisser, an officer in charge of wetlands conservation in Tanzania, said they established an institutional framework of wetlands management but they too face challenges.

Laisser said wetlands being a "cross-sector resource,” it was difficult for only one institution to manage. The Vice President’s office in Tanzania oversees all wetlands. In addition to mining in wetlands and "competing land use” since a "very big influx of pastoralists” is encroaching on wetland areas and emergence of new development projects is a headache.

Laisser said: "The southern agricultural project meant to feed the country with cereal, runs across the Ramsar site of Kilombero and lower Rufiji. We still can’t make a good price tag on wetland products. There is also competition with other land users.”

Tanzania injected millions of dollars into projects to strengthen agricultural productivity in its Southern Highlands.

Burundi too is grappling with nearly similar challenges. Especially difficulty in coordination and execution of projects. The country’s vision 2025 incorporates a policy and strategy on management of environmental resources.

Key EAC protocol lags

However, what seems to hurt the bloc more is a failure to set up a joint framework on environment and natural resources management. Last year, Tanzania ruined EAC’s plans when it refused to sign the protocol on environment and natural resources management.

The protocol lists areas of cooperation in environment and natural resources, counting: management of water resources; tourism development; sustainable management and wise use of wetland resources; and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Tanzania believed the protocol contradicts the EAC Common Market protocol, particularly with respect to access to and use of land which should be governed by national policies and laws.

"For many years, we’ve been discussing the EAC protocol on environment and natural resources. This could have been a platform for harmonizing our approach in conserving wetlands,” Dr. Kasiki lamented.

After Tanzania’s objections, revisions to the protocol are being considered.

"If we have a common approach, for example, to the conservation of Lake Natron or another wetland, we can pull resources and do things in a much better way if we worked towards a common objective, other than doing it in isolation.”