Cooperation and Conflicts over Access and Use of Natural Resources -the case of Tana delta

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1 Cooperation and Conflicts over Access and Use of Natural Resources -the case of Tana delta By Nasra Hanshi, Posgraduate student, University Of Nairobi. Tana River County 1.1 Geographical location Tana River district is one of seven districts that make up the Coast Province. It shares boundaries with Kitui to the West, Mwingi to the Northwest, Garissa to the north east, Ijara to the east, Meru North and Isiolo to the north, Lamu to the south east and Malindi to the southwest. It also borders the Indian Ocean to the south with a coastal strip of 35km. The total land size is 38,782km2 divided into seven divisions, forty three locations and ninety three sub-locations. The district has three constituencies and forty three wards. The three constituencies are Bura, Galole and Garsen. Tana River County Council is the only local authority in the district. 1.2 Topography The major physical feature in Tana River district is an undulating plain which is interrupted in a few places by low hills. The main hills are Minjili in Garsen Division, Bilbil in Bura and Madogo. The altitude ranges between 0-200m above the sea level. River Tana covers about 500 kilometers of the district traversing it from Tharaka district in the North to the Indian Ocean in the South. The expansive delta created by the river is characterized by wetlands, presenting great potential for agriculture. It provides grazing area during the dry season and is a tourist attraction. The water is used for irrigation of rice, banana, maize, mangoes and soya-beans. Fishing and agro-forestry are also important activities in the area Climate and Rainfall Rainfall is low, bimodal, and erratic with mean annual ranging between 300 to 500mm. Long rains occur in the months of April and May while short rains occur in the months of October and November. The average annual temperatures are about 300Centigrade and along the coast there are humid conditions. With the rains being erratic, especially in the hinterland, the district experiences drought almost every year. The coastline is wetter than the hinterland. The coastal

2 region receives up to 1,200mm of rain annually although it varies and is highly unreliable. The higher rainfall at the coast support cash crops while the dry climate hinterland only supports pastoralism. Generally, therefore the district is dry in most of the season with temperatures averaging 30º C. 1.4 Population and settlement The district is generally sparsely populated mainly due to harsh climatic conditions like low and erratic rainfall and high temperatures. In 2002, the district was estimated to have a total population of 200,327 people. The projected population per square kilometer was five persons although there are a few deviations due to water availability. Insecurity has forced most communities in the district to live together for protection. The communities tend to settle in places where government institutions are located. These include the district, divisional, location and sub locational headquarters. Tana River district is inhabited by various ethnic groups. The main ones include the Pokomo, Orma, Wardei, Somalis, Malakote, Munyoyaya, Wata, Bajuni and Miji Kenda. They are engaged in various economic activities. The Pokomo Munyoyaya, Malakote and Miji Kenda for instance, are involved in farming activities, while the Orma, Wardei and Somalis are mainly cattle keepers. Most of the villages are found along the River Tana where farming is favorable. The pastoralists are mainly found in the hinterland and live in manyattas concentrated around watering points like dams, wells and boreholes and pasture. The poverty level in Tana River is very high. It is estimated that 72% of the total district population live below poverty line. Droughts, coupled with conflicts are partly responsible for the high poverty incidence. Most of the poor people depend on relief food. Resources in Turkana County The following are the key natural resources in the district. Water The Tana Delta Land Livestock Pasture Fish and marine resources Forests Wildlife Minerals Emerging livestock Solar and wind energy

3 Resource-based analysis Overview Despite its huge natural resources wealth and potential, Tana River district is paradoxically also home to some of the poorest Kenyans. The district is endowed with various water sources, vast tracts of land, livestock, pastures, forests, fish, wildlife and minerals. There are neither major industrial activities nor big commercial enterprises in the district. The key hindrances to socioeconomic development in the district include a long history of insecurity, an underdeveloped or degraded resource base, frequency of droughts and famine and ethnic conflicts over land use and control. The pastoral communities (e.g. the Orma and Wardei) have not coexisted peacefully with farming groups like the Pokomo. Other factors include a fragile ecosystem, poor leadership and long years of government indifference in the development of the district. 2.1 WATER The district has abundant water resources ranging from the Tana River, seasonal streams and underground sources to the Indian Ocean Strategic challenges Extensive underutilization of potential The district is prone to periodic droughts yet the potential for irrigated agriculture has not been fully tapped. Past irrigation schemes in the district such as Hola and Bura have ground to a halt due to poor management and lack of focused marketing. The Tana Delta also has huge potential for farming that has not been commercially exploited. Marine resources including fish abound yet these have yet to provide a viable income generating options for the district. Poor management of existing water works Existing water works are poorly managed leading to lengthy breakdowns and sometimes closures. Opportunities and potential impact In a district with such unique water resources, many opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the people abound. Other than irrigated agriculture from the Tana, water-based resources such fish and other marine products could help supplement household incomes and alleviate poverty.

4 Local capacity is lacking as the communities tend to be largely poor and efforts have to concentrate on strategic interventions to improve capacity to take advantage of water and waterbased resources. 2.2 Land Land is a key natural resource in the district. Land in this district can be grouped into three categories: rangeland, wetland and the flood plains. Strategic challenges Conflict over land use and access A key challenge in the management of land in this district is rampant conflict over access to and use of land between the farming sedentary communities and the pastoral mobile cattle keepers. As population pressure increases, resources that were traditionally set aside for either farming or pasture are increasingly being used for both causing long running conflict. Degradation Degradation is most acute in the rangelands due to droughts and overgrazing. Increasing population pressure, however, is leading to encroachment of the fragile wetland eco-system. Underutilization The Tana River flood plains with their rich soils are vastly underutilized in the district. An environmentally sound system targeting the delta has the potential to transform the district into a rich sugarcane growing and manufacturing hub. Land tenurial constraints The land tenure system is either trust or communal. This system does not encourage appropriate local and external investment. 2.3 Livestock Livestock is a key natural resource in the district and the district has a considerable population of livestock and ranches. Strategic challenges There are several challenges that constrain livestock production in the district. Occasional insecurity and conflict over grazing resources Disease and pests Diseases and pests are another challenge. The district has limited access to veterinary services both private and government in part due to poor physical infrastructure which makes

5 communication difficult. The private sector providers of these services are largely uninterested in the district as demand for their disservices tends to be low a nd the supporting infrastructure poor. Emphasis has to be laid on traditional knowledge and building the capacity of Community Based Animal Health Workers (CBAHWs) to fill the lacuna Droughts and floods The district is prone to periodic droughts and floods that denude the rangelands. These shocks also leave the vast majority of cattle keepers vulnerable as livestock die and pasture is rendered unusable by floods. Limited market access Constraints imposed by poor infrastructure mean that the district s access to livestock markets in other parts of Kenya as well as the export market is limited. Poor infrastructure also means that the district is largely a primary producer of livestock with little, if any, value addition. Declining quantity and quality of pasture Tana River district has become a magnet for distressed pastoralists from other districts due to the waters of the Tana. This influx of herds from other areas tends to degrade the rangelands and the delta. Opportunities and potential impact Emerging Livestock One of the more exciting resources in Tana River district is the emerging livestock. This includes guinea fowls, crocodiles, ostrich, turles, butterflies and quails. These have the capacity to diversify the options for income generation available to the people but marketing, financial and legal hurdles need to be addressed to make it viable and accessible to locals. Value addition Infrastructural hurdles are the key constraints to the capacity of local people to engage in viable value addition of their livestock and livestock products. Resolution of those constraints is necessary in order to enable partnerships between the locals nand other players to take root. 2.4 Fish and marine resources Tana River district has huge potential for fish and marine resources development from the Tana River and the Indian Ocean. Strategic challenges Growth in the fishing and marine products sector is constrained by the following factors.

6 Poor physical, industrial and marketing infrastructure The generally poor physical infrastructure in the district is perhaps the biggest hindrance to the growth of this sector. Fish and other marine products such as lobsters and sea weeds are highly perishable and requires infrastructure to ensure they reach their markets in quickly and in a fresh state. Good roads, telecommunication facilities and cooling facilities are thus critical to the sustainable growth of the sector. Lack of local capacity The local population is generally poor and lacks the necessary social capital such as strong cooperatives to help them market their products, add value at source and acquire required input and technology. Insecurity and conflict As with other natural resources, insecurity in the district has had a negative impact on the development of fishing and marine industry. Opportunities and potential impact With such fishing and marine resources the district has the opportunity to build sustainable income generating opportunities for the people to supplement livestock keeping and crop agriculture. Trade in fish and marine resources With appropriate infrastructure and sufficient local social and financial capital, the district can begin to expand its trade in fish and marine products. Strategic initiatives need to focus on building social capital such as local cooperatives and local skills to trade. Value addition of fish and marine products Value addition has the advantage of creating employment for local people from the industries packaging fish and marine products. Fish by products such as scales can also spawn other small scale industries such as animal feed and handicrafts. 2.5 Wildlife and tourism The district has the potential to leverage the wildlife and visitor attraction resources to improve the livelihoods of the people. These resources include the rare primates and aquatic animals at the Tana Delta, beach tourism along the Indian Ocean, Water sports and game fishing. Strategic challenges

7 The following constraints are the key barriers to the full utilization of tourism potential in the district. Insecurity Insecurity is a major handicap to the development of tourism in the district. Insecurity is also enhanced by competition for resources and collapsing traditional and modern law enforcement structures. Poor infrastructure The general inaccessibility of the area due to poor communication and telecommunication networks impacts negatively on the sector. Undermarketing of potential Despite its obvious potential, the district s visitor attraction sites have been grossly undermarketed. Low local capacity Rampant poverty has compounded local incapacity to develop this sector and there is need for focused growth of appropriate local and social capital. Human-wildlife conflict As pressure for land grows, competition for resources between wildlife and humans has exacerbated. Opportunities and potential impact Improved livelihoods through employment and trade can result from appropriate organization of the potential at local and national levels. Income generation through eco-tourism projects Eco-tourism projects involving the community can provide sustainable livelihood options for the district. Local capacity and infrastructural hurdles must however be addressed. Employment in water sports and game fishing The Indian Ocean and the Tana River have potential for water sports development and game fishing. As with other resources, infrastructure and local capacity are key impediments. Visitor attraction to the delta The Tana Delta, with its rich fauna and flora is potentially a visitor attraction site that can generate income earning activities for the district. Again local capacity and infrastructure are key hurdles

8 2.6 Forests Tana River District has an impressive forest cover. Key forests include the riverine forests along River Tana and the delta region. Strategic challenges Deforestation due to encroachment by farmers and pastoralists Increasing population has put pressure on the forest resources as people cut down trees indiscriminately for firewood and charcoal. Forests are also cleared for human settlements and farming as well as for fodder for livestock. Opportunities and potential impact The community must be capacitated to conserve their forests through participatory forest management practices. Local communities must be provided with incentives to conserve forests. Butterfly farming There is potential for butterfly farming in the district. Local social networks however need to be strengthened to enable local communities to fully leverage this resource Bee-keeping Bee keeping provides locals with incentives to conserve trees as they place beehives on trees. Again local communities must be capacitated to take advantage of the honey market and to add value through packaging and branding

9 District development principles Core development principles provide the underpinning philosophy that should guide the utilisation of natural resources in the district. Core development principles define what the acceptable behavior for the district in the management of the natural resources resident in Tana River district is. The following are the core development principles for Natural Resource Management in Tana River district. Justice and equity in accessing and benefiting from natural resources Respect for indigenous knowledge and local culture Respect for diversity Inclusiveness especially for women Focus on value addition Proactive participation of local communities in development initiatives Recommendations Continued increase in population puts increasing demand for various resources to meet various needs in the Tana Basin. The various resources in the basin should therefore be managed in a sustainable and integrated way since the social and economic development of the watershed and the basin depends on the availability of the resources in the basin. For this to happen, it is necessary to:

10 a. Evaluate the roles of various government agencies and other stakeholders toensure full benefits and responsibilities of integrated resources management in the watershed and the basin b. Built the necessary capacity in the local communities to meet the needs of integrated resources management in their respective areas c..conduct environmental impact assessment of existing and proposed development projects that are likely to negatively impact on the environment upon which all resources depend d. Promote multi- and inert-interdisciplinary approaches to planning, research, implementation and monitoring of resource use practices within the basin and catchment e. Identify needs and potentials for education programs for the people at all levels people in various catchment areas to inculcate the proper attitude towards resource use f. Develop a watershed management plan to guide the use of various resources in the watershed g. Encourage active participation of the local people in the management of watershed resources to ensure sustainable use of the same Conclusion The Tana Basin generally is endowed with diverse resources such as water, land/soils, forestry and wildlife. The use of these resources poses serious challenges in the leading to serious conflicts. It is important that resource exploitation occurs in such a way to avoid the degradation of the watershed and the basin to ensure continued socio-economic development of the people. This requires the participation of all the stakeholders in coming up with appropriate strategies and mechanisms of ensuring integrated resource use through suitable resource use plans.