Stakeholders’ Use and Awareness of the Benefits of Wetland Management Practices in Ewaso Narok Swamp in Kenya

Wetlands are important for their richness in biodiversity and livelihood support functions. Thus, their wise use is advocated in the Ramsar Convention and calls for implementing conservation approaches to maintain the ecological character of such lands. According to this, the factors responsible for degradation, like the indiscriminate use of fertilizers, should be controlled. Wetland management practices (WMPs) are essential and safe substitutes for fertilizers because they promote resource conservation and increase farm yields. Awareness of the benefits of the WMPs is expected to enhance their utilization and reduce the use of fertilizers and chemicals which affect both wetlands and human health. To ascertain the felt needs in Ewaso Narok Swamp, a survey was carried out among two major stakeholder groups: The Water Resource Users Association (WRUA) and Water Resource Authority (WRA). Additionally, a study determined if benefit awareness influenced the use of WMPs. The major findings are low uptake of WMPs and high use of fertilizer and other chemicals. Subsequently, results showed that although over 80 percent of users were aware of the benefits of WMPs, their non-use of WMPs was 23 percent, and over 40 percent utilized fertilizer on their farms within the wetland. Furthermore, an increase in benefit awareness is likely to increase the use of soil and water conservation practices and pasture conservation practices by 27 and 16 percent respectively. Therefore, group membership must be encouraged, while fertilizer use in the wetland area should be substituted with WMPs to promote sustainable wetland management.