1. Wetlands and Poverty Reduction Project Anglophone regional practitioners training course MODULE 3 POLICY SETTING AND ADVOCACY By Teddy Tindamanyire, Isah Dutse, Catherine Mungai 5 MAY 2007 A Wetlands International project supported by DGIS

2. Lecture 9: CONTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS TO LIVELIHOODS

3. Learning objectives Understand the need to balance between conversion of wetlands with other developments; Understand the best user scenarios for wetlands; Understand the different medium through which to justify conversion or conservation of wetlands.

4. Ecosystem services

5. VALUE TO RURAL COMMUNITIES

6. Direct benefits Key issue: these benefits/values are not always appreciated by stakeholders

7. Wetlands are vital natural resources endowment They are however seen as; Waste lands due to lack of sufficient information/data Contribution to GDP is vague and obscured Private sector investment on wetlands is very low

8. Livelihood sources (direct) Crop cultivation Fisheries Livestock grazing Non timber Wild resources Timber forest products…etc

9. Livelihood sources (indirect) Ground water recharge Flood control Purification of water Biodiversity/gene bank Amelioration of micro-climate Water storage

10. Policy issues to be addressed Open access resource – do people attach a value to wetlands?? Inadequate valuation – contribution to the national economy (GDP etc.) Dwindling benefits Development pressure Inadequate markets Inadequate capacity – community level

11. How to ensure wetlands policy address livelihood issues Development of clear wetlands policy Establishing and support lead institution/agency Build awareness among stakeholder (policy makers)

12. Ensure involvement of all relevant stakeholders in wetlands management planning and implementation Continued documentation and information sharing among stakeholders How to ensure wetlands policy address livelihood issues cont...

13. THANK YOU