Environmental conservationists on Wednesday linked Kenya’s perennial flash floods to the degradation of the country’s wetlands.
Wetlands International Programs Manager Julie Mulonga told Xinhua in Nairobi that rapid urbanization has caused human settlements to encroach on wetlands and have contributed to climate change.
“There is direct linkage between destruction of wetlands and the extreme weather patterns such as floods,” Mulonga said on the sidelines of an exhibition on the achievements made in water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem management.
The day-long event brought participants to showcase the best practices in ecosystem management and restoration.
Mulonga said that wetlands acts as a sponge for water and therefore prevent flooding caused by flash floods.
She added that Kenya’s Wetlands Policy will assist the country to implement strategies that will reverse the trend of declining wetlands.
The East African nation became a signatory of the Ramsar Convention in 1990 and has five designated Ramsar sites including Lake Naivasha.
Wetlands International is working closely with local communities to help them embrace environmental conservation as part of their daily life.
“Wetlands are critical sources of fish and other products and so provide communities with livelihoods. So they need to ensure that wetlands are sustainable in the long term,” Mulonga said.
Wetlands International has received a 500,000-Euro grant from the Dutch government to roll out a wetland sensitization program in Kenya.
The nongovernmental organization is also assisting vulnerable communities living along the Tana Delta to promote climate friendly alternative livelihoods. Enditem
