The Impact of Culture on Wetland Conservation in Nyando District Kenya

Osula, Maureen.A. (2010) The Impact of Culture on Wetland Conservation in Nyando District Kenya. Masters thesis, Kenyatta University.

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Abstract

The Lake Victoria wetlands serve many different purposes for the different communities living around them. They are valuable ecosystems and are of significance particularly to the biota and water quality of the lakes where they are thus situated. However, human settlements in and around Lake Victoria, coupled with rapid population growth, inappropriate land use policies and over-exploitation of natural resources has resulted in severe environmental degradation including loss of plant and animal species. Due to their ecological significance and importance to the livelihood of the local people, the wetlands of Lake Victoria need to be conserved and managed in a sustainable manner. Yet the daily lives and attitudes of the communities living around the wetlands are influenced to a certain extent by their culture. This study aimed at reviewing and documenting the existing cultural knowledge and belief systems that govern the exploitation of the Nyando wetlands by the surrounding communities and how the accompanying attitudes affect wetland conservation. Primary data collection was through the use of interviews and informal discussions with community members and conservation based organisations. Secondary data sources included documentation and computerised data that was relevant to the study. Observation walks to record the way of life of the local community also formed part of the study. Results revealed that there were a number of existing cultural beliefs among the Nyando communities. These however were rarely observed mainly due to the effects of modernisation. Some of these beliefs were not necessarily positive as concerns conservation and may even be considered prohibitive. Some of these prohibitive beliefs concern women's rights to land ownership and tree planting. In summary some of the factors that would facilitate management of water as a resource and consequently conservation of its sources are assistance from external agencies to initiate water projects and leadership roles whereas ambiguous property rights, ownership and scale of water resources, poverty levels, gender relations and clan dynamics inhibit communities to undertake water management. It was noted that floods form an integral part of life in the Nyando wetlands. In addition to environmental degradation, floods create a potentially hazardous health situation leads to loss of life hence loss of human labour. This indirectly aggravates the poverty situation giving rise to an attitude where people are more focused on survival than on environmental conservation In spite of this, the local communities in the Nyando wetlands are engaged in some conservation activities. This has been facilitated by the presence of environmentally based non-governmental organisations in the region. A general perspective among the communities is that the government has previously simply thrust policies on the local communities to participate in natural resource management. It is the recommendation of the author that region specific environmental policy and agroforestry solutions be formulated by the government in consultation with scientists for the Nyando area. It is recommended that implementation of these solutions actively engage the participation of the local community based on their socio-cultural beliefs where such beliefs are favourable to conservation. Given that different Kenyan communities hold different cultural beliefs and views on the relationship between humans and nature, it becomes imperative to take into account the views and attitudes of the local communities around the Nyando wetlands in the formulation of conservation measures and policies.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GB Physical geography G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
Divisions:	Africana
Depositing User:	Tim Khabala
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2018 12:42
Last Modified:	06 Mar 2018 12:42
URI:	http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/3450

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