Saiwa Swamp vanishing at high rate — and humans are to blame
Eucalyptus trees along Saiwa River at Wiyeta Wetlands in Cherangany, Trans Nzoia County. The river has been adversely impacted by poor agricultural practices and climate change, leading to its degradation.
What you need to know:
- The river is the primary water source for Saiwa Swamp and the dwindling amount of water is causing concern among residents of Trans Nzoia East Sub-county.
- Moreover, water springs that once recharged the river in the wetland are becoming scarce.
Saiwa River, also known as Kapenguria River, is gradually drying up due to human activities in the catchment area, which is located in Trans Nzoia County.
The river is the primary water source for Saiwa Swamp and the dwindling amount of water is causing concern among residents of Trans Nzoia East Sub-county. Moreover, water springs that once recharged the river in the wetland are becoming scarce.
The river, which also supplies water to Saiwa National Park, serving as an aquifer and a buffer zone, has been adversely impacted by climate change and poor agricultural practices, leading to its degradation. Residents who have lived in the settlement scheme since the 1970s have reported that the two kilometre upstream stretch of the river is drying up rapidly, which could result in water shortage soon.
Mr Biketi Wesonga and Robert Ndung'u, one of the pioneer settlers in the area, expressed concern over the influence of human activities on the wetland and along the river bank owing to growing population.
"This place was a forest and a swamp, but people have settled and are cultivating it up to the river bank. This river was big and had clean water. But now the water levels have gone down and the remaining water is dirty," Mr Wesonga said.
Mr Ndung'u noted that residents have planted eucalyptus trees on the river banks, which are draining the river to its death.
"Before, there were no agricultural activities near the river and the wetland, but right now people have planted vegetables and maize up to the river bank. This has caused a lot of destruction to the ecology of the wetland," said Mr Ndung'u, also an environmentalist who has set up a tree nursery for indigenous trees to restore the river.
The drying up of the river has led to human-wildlife conflict and massive wildlife migration from Saiwa National Park. The world's endangered Sitatunga antelope, which is the main attraction at the country's smallest park, is facing extinction. Experts blame encroachment and destruction of the riparian ecology that is home to the rare antelopes.
The architects of the 3.1 Km² national park established in the 1960s and gazetted in 1974 had left the upstream river and wetland to serve as a buffer zone to protect the park from invasion. However, poor agricultural practices and human activities are causing the river to dry up, posing serious threats to the park.
But all is not lost. Some residents have now united to save the river and restore the destroyed Wiyeta Wetlands.
Community Alliance for Change (CAC), a local environmental conservation organisation, is working with residents to restore the river.
Mr David Walala, an environmental expert and a director at CAC, noted that massive destruction of the catchment is a severe threat to the survival of the river and, by extension, the national park.
The organisation is working with the local community to undertake baseline studies on the human activities' impact on the ecosystem.
"We are conducting research and monitoring matrix with the support of environmental scientists from abroad through an exchange programme to ascertain the damage to this ecosystem before we start the restoration programme. Part of the project will begin with community sensitisation and the planting of indigenous trees to restore the river and save the catchment area.
"We are engaging the community and right now we have public forums where locals discuss ways to restore the degraded catchment area," noted Mr Walala.
The organisation is supplying residents with Syzygium Cordatum (waterberry tree) seedlings to plant on the wetland.
The indigenous tree not only gives hope to the restoration of the river and wetland but is also a source of food for the animals in the park, including the debrazza monkeys and crested cranes.
Mr Walala noted that part of the long-term plan for protecting the wetland and the river is to offer alternative sources of livelihoods to residents who live at the catchment area.
"We are also using recommendations from President William Ruto's thesis during his PhD on land use impact on wetlands to come up with a policy document so that the community can fully protect this wetland," added Mr Walala.
Residents have urged the county government, through the Local Climate Action programme, to help them with the restoration project. "Currently, we depend on well-wishers and fundraising to help us support the tree nurseries that we use to propagate seedlings, but we hope to get support from our county government," said Mr Ndung'u, the chairman of the indigenous tree nursery project.
In 2019, the National Environmental Management Authority banned sand harvesting along the Saiwa River to protect it from destructive human activities.
