 |
The day is marked in September 15 every year on
a rotational basis between Tanzania and Kenya as part of efforts to campaign
for sustainable conservation of Mara River.
The river starts in the Mau forests on the
Kenyan side, and then flows through Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Serengeti
National Park before emptying into Lake Victoria in Tanzania.
Thus, the trans boundary river forms an integral
part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
Apart from supporting wildlife conservation,
Mara River is also a source of livelihood to around 1.1 million Tanzanians and
Kenyans.
The 10th Sectorial Council of
Ministers for Lake Victoria Basin held in the Rwandan capital of Kigali in May
2012 declared every September 15 the “Mara Day.
Commemoration of the day coincides with
migration of wildebeest from the world famous Serengeti National Park in
Tanzania and Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
The river offers a crossing point for the great
annual migration that attracts thousands of tourists from across the world.
Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC)
coordinates and facilitates the two countries marking the day each year, in
partnership with USAID East Africa.
Kenya became the first country to host Mara Day
in 2012 at Mulot town in Bomet County.
Tanzania’s retired Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda
was the guest of honour when the country hosted its first Mara Day celebrations
in 2013, in the Serengeti district, Mara region.
Reports from government officials in Mara region
say that preparations for the Mara Day 2019 celebrations have already begun.
“We have started preparations for this important
day and our next meeting will be on August 13,” Serengeti District
Commissioner(DC) Nurdin Babu said in an exclusive interview with Mara Online
News last week.
Besides governments of the two nations, Mara Day
celebrations bring together key partners working to protect and conserve the
river basin.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the key
partners implementing various projects designed to protect and conserve Mara
river.
One the WWF’s projects in the Mara River basin
is called Fresh Water, and it seeks to improve the quantity and quality of
water in the river.
Other organizations with significant
contributions on protecting and conserving Serengeti- Mara ecosystem in
Tanzania are the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), Grumeti Fund, and Tanzania
National Park( TANAPA).
Conservationists in Tanzania say Mara River is
the lifeline of the annual wildebeest migration.
Local communities living around the river basin
are well represented in the Mara Day celebrations each year.
The celebrations incorporate a different theme
each year to campaign for sustainable conservation of the Mara River Basin.
It is seen as an important day that creates
venue for the stakeholders to meet and examine preservation of the river basin.
 |
| Overgrazing contributes to harm environment in the Mara River basin (Photoby Joan Itanisa/WWF Tanzania) |
This year’s celebrations will take place at a
time when the river basin is still facing several challenges associated with
climate change and human activities.
The challenges include deforestation, livestock
keeping, sand harvesting and intensive farming activities that are not friendly
to the environment.
In April this year the level of water diminished
considerably on some parts of the river with experts citing climate change and
human encroachment as the major causes.
“The water level in the river dropped in the
recent weeks and local communities could cross the river just by foot. One can
easily view sand instead of water,” an environmental expert who is familiar
with Mara River conservation issues for several years in Tanzania said in April
this year.
The situation was reportedly getting worse on
the Kenyan side after its media reported that Mara River tributaries
were drying up.
Thus, commemoration of the 2019 Mara Day in 2019
seems to be important than previous celebrations due to the current
environmental situation in the river basin.
Mara River basin stakeholders are anticipated to
deliberate on challenges facing the river basin in the next Mara Day
celebrations.
A collective effort from both countries is
necessary in addressing the current challenges threatening the river basin
covering about 13,750 square kilometres.
Local communities should be sensitized to
engage in income generating activities that do not harm the environment like
beekeeping, horticultural farming and best practices of farming livestock
activities.
 |
| A local man explains how introduction of beekeeping helps to preserve environment in the Mara River basin( Photo by Joan Itanisa/WWF Tanzania) |
Campaigning for alternative source of energy
will also help to reduce massive deforestation resulting from charcoal and
firewood production.
Local communities need understand why
preservation of Mara river basin is imperative for their own benefits and
wildlife conservation.
 |
| Some local communities living around Mara River depend on small scale mining activities as the major source of income( Photo by Jacob Mugini) |
In May this year, the Netherlands based IHE
Delft Institute for Water Education conducted Environmental Flow Assessment
(EFA) in the river basin on the Tanzanian side.
IHE Delft is the world’s largest international
water graduate facility. Objective of the EFA was to develop Mara River water
allocation plan on the Tanzanian side.
Besides supporting wildlife conservation in the
Serengeti Mara ecosystem and lives of about 1.1 million people, the presence of
the river helps to enhance the existing good relations between Tanzania and
Kenya, thanks to all partners supporting initiatives meant to
protect and conserve Mara River Basin
for the present and the future generations.
No comments:
Post a Comment