Abstract
This research examines the problems of public participation in conserving a Ramsar site at the Tana Delta in southeastern Kenya. Given no participation of the public in government initiatives so far, we attempted to find out what had prevented local people from cooperating with responsible government bodies. Using empirical evidence that we obtained from fieldworks, questionnaire surveys, and workshops, we found that the low participation was not mainly due to local people’s unwillingness to conserve natural resources. Instead, we found that they were strongly interested in wetland resources conservation as long as their customary rights to governing resources are sufficiently recognized. We also documented how these local people managed their resources. The Kenya Wildlife Service and the National Museum of Kenya are the main government bodies to promote public participation, but we found that these agencies had not done effective communication works among local people. Our survey then clarified what sources of information can be most effective in communicating with local people in the Tana Delta. Finally, we discuss how the problems of public participation can be solved or reduced.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aarhus Convention (1998) Convention on access of information, Public Participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. June 25, Denmark. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/aarhus/
Birdlife International (2017) Tana Delta, Kenya. http://www.birdlife.org/africa/policy/tana-delta-kenya. Accessed 27 March 2017
Cent J, Grodzi M, Pietrzyk-kaszy A (2014) Emerging multilevel environmental governance—a case of public participation in Poland. J Nat Conserv 22:93–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2013.09.005
Danielsen F, Pirhofer-Walzl K, Adrian TP, Kapijimpanga DR, Burgess ND, Jensen PM, Madsen J (2014) Linking public participation in scientific research to the indicators and needs of international environmental agreements. Conserv Lett 7(1):12–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12024
Duraiappah AK, Naeem S, Agardy T, Ash NJ, Cooper HD, Díaz S, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis, vol 5. Island Press, Washington. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1439.003
Fry PB (2011) Community forest monitoring in REDD+: the “M” in MRV? Environ Sci Policy 14(2):181–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2010.12.004
Karanja JM (2015) The role mangrove ecosystem in flood risk reduction: the case study of Tana Delta, Kenya. Master’s thesis. United Nations University. Tokyo, Japan
Karanja JM, Saito O (2017) Cost-benefit analysis of mangrove ecosystems in flood risk reduction: a case study of the Tana Delta Kenya. Sustain Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-017-0427-3
Kenya Bureau of Statistics (2009) 2009 Population and Housing Census. Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). http://www.knbs.or.ke/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=categories&Itemid=599. Accessed 10 June 2016
Munguti S, Matiku P (2015) Tana River Delta. Lessons learnt from Nature Kenya Work 2007–2014. Published by Nature Kenya- the Easr Africa Natural History Society. ISBN 9966-761-25-X
Nature Kenya (2012) Guided by Science, Kenyan authority rejects the case for jatropha at Dakatcha IBA. February 24. http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/guided-science-kenyan-authority-rejects-case-jatropha-dakatcha-iba. Accessed 27 March 2017
Odhengo P, Matiku P, Nyangena J, Wahome K, Opaa B, Munguti S, Koyier G, Nelson P, Mnyamwezi E (2014) Tana river delta strategic environmental assessment 2014. Published by the Tana River and Lamu County governments
Ramsar (2012) The Tana River Delta Ramsar site. http://www.ramsar.org/tana-river-delta-ramsar-site Accessed 8 October 2016
Ramsar (2014) Annotated list of wetlands of international importance: Kenya Ramsar sites information service. https://rsis.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/rsiswp_search/exports/Ramsar-Sites-annotated-summary-Kenya.pdf?1492407043
Reed MS, Graves A, Dandy N, Posthumus H, Hubacek K, Morris J, Stringer LC (2009) Who’s in and why? A typology of stakeholder analysis methods for natural resource management. J Environ Manage 90(5):1933–1949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.01.001
Resolution VII.9. The Convention’s Outreach Programme 1999–2002. 7th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971). San José, Costa Rica, 10–18 May 1999. http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/key_res_vii.09e.pdf
Resolution VIII.36. Participatory environmental management (PEM) as a tool for management and wise use of wetlands. 8th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Wetlands Convention (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) Valencia, Spain, 18–26 November 2002. http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/res/key_res_viii_36_e.pdf
Resolution XII.9. The Ramsar Convention’s Programme on communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) 2016–2024. 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971). Punta del Este, Uruguay, 1–9 June 2015. http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/cop12_res09_cepa_e_0.pdf
Shirk J, Ballard H, Wilderman C, Phillips T, Wiggins A, Jordan R, Bonney R (2012) Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design. Ecol Soc 17(2):29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229
Terer T, Macharia J (2013) Home-grown communication, education, public participation and awareness (CEPA) wetland tools: a new dawn for CEPA activities in Kenya By, (November), 0–40. http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/nationalworkshop_26112013_proceedings.pdf
The East Africa (2012) In Tana communities resist 40,000 ha project: October 13. http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/In-Tana-communities-resist-40000ha-project/2558-1532640-q2o6kpz/index.html. Accessed 27 March 2017
The Star (2013) Tana Delta leaders want irrigation project stopped: May 4. http://allafrica.com/stories/201305060280.html. Accessed 4 May 2017
UNCED (1992a) Rio Declaration—Rio Declaration on Environment and Development—United Nations Environment Programme. Unep.Org. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.Print.asp?DocumentID=78&ArticleID=1163&l=en
UNCED (1992b) Earth Summit‘92. The UN Conference on Environment and Development. Reproduction, Rio de Jan (June), 351. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11671-008-9208-3
UNESCO (2010). The Tana Delta and forests complex. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5514/. Accessed 8 Oct 2016
Wisor S (2016) After the MDGs: citizen deliberation and the post-development framework, 113–133
Funding
The authors solely funded the research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karanja, J.M., Matsui, K. & Saito, O. Problems of public participation in the Ramsar CEPA programme at the Tana Delta, Kenya. Wetlands Ecol Manage 26, 525–535 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-017-9589-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-017-9589-0