World Wetlands Day celebrated in Kericho, Kenya

On February 2, the Kenyan ministry of Environment together with the Kericho County government organized the World Wetlands Day event in Kericho, Kenya.

World Wetlands Day (WWD) marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for  national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Participants who attended the event were drawn from local communities, national and county Governments, civil society, learning institutions and private sector. Activities included tree planting, awareness procession, visit to constructed and natural wetlands.

Kericho, where the ISLA Kenya program is active, has a 34 ha wetland Tionosoyiet, which is an important source of water and livelihood for the local community in the area.

Wetlands, which are areas permanently or seasonally flooded by water and include swamps to peatlands to river banks, usually play an important economic role. In Kenya, wetlands are source of fishing, rice farming, water for pastures, home to wildlife and important source of water for communities. Increased population pressure, waste disposal and general over-use have threatened the country’s wetlands. The Kenyan ministry of environment, together with various environmental authorities and other stakeholders are committed to safeguarding the wetlands.

The Kericho County governor Prof. Paul Chepkwony stated in that his government will work with other stakeholders to sustainably manage the Tionosoyiet wetland.