Kwale County Government seeks Marine biodiversity conservation partnership

Kwale,

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

KNA by Hussein Abdullahi

 Kwale county government is seeking support and partnership in the conservation and protection of the marine ecosystem and resources.

Due to its great diversity of marine and terrestrial species the coastal county is considered one of the country’s most important centres of biodiversity.

Maritime stakeholders say that coastal ecosystems are increasingly suffering under the pressure of a constantly growing population hence being overexploited, polluted and degraded.

The stakeholders further contend that negative effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems are making matters even worse, necessitating the establishment of protected areas to promote better conservation measures.

Marine conservation, also known as ocean conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these marine resources.

The county is however afflicted by the impacts of inappropriate use of marine and coastal areas as well as the unmitigated impacts of climate change.

Area Governor Fatuma Achani says marine conservation was not only important for climate protection and biodiversity but also provided a source of livelihood for the fisher folk community.

Marine ecosystem conservation is all about protecting and preserving seas and oceans, which is well-known as the conservation of marine resources.

Governor Achani emphasised on the need to minimise human-caused damages to marine ecosystems and resources noting oceans are affected by pollution, climate change, acidification, sedimentation, and many more.

Achani noted that unmitigated climate change can negatively impact on the economic sectors like tourism and fisheries which directly depend upon the quality of the marine environment.

She says the German Agency for International Cooperation has been supporting Kwale on programmes focusing on areas of Sustainable Economic Development, Agriculture and food security and Renewable energy and climate change.

Governor Achani added that on sustainable economic development, GIZ through the Go Blue programme is supporting vocational education and training to equip local youths with critical skills.

“Fostering a strong partnership in environmental conservation is key to having a long-lasting solution to the phenomena of climate change,” she said, adding that climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

She went on ‘we have also agreed to work together with GIZ in a collaborative biodiversity programme aimed at conserving the Kwale-Tanga marine sanctuary afflicted by the impacts of climate change’.

The county boss said the consequences of climate change include among others intense droughts, water scarcity, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.

She said this when she received in her office a German delegation led by Thorsten Huber, German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) Project Manager on Biodiversity.

Achani noted that the meeting with the German team focused on a partnership programme in marine ecosystem conservation and mangrove forests in the coastal county.

She said the devolved government is taking advantage of the opportunities in the blue economy sector to promote economic growth, social inclusion and improved livelihoods of the coastal communities.

The Governor contended that Kwale had previously worked with GIZ on blue-economy programmes where local youth have been trained on matters of the blue economy.

The blue economy sector covers a wide range of economic activities within coastal communities such as fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport and tourism.

The Governor assured that she will work closely with GIZ in their Go Blue Project component that focuses on integrating youth and women to contribute to sustainable economic growth in the blue economy sector.

On his part Thorsten Huber says GIZ is ready to partner with Kwale in the preservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem for sustainable development.

Huber said the marine coastal areas are among the world’s most productive ecosystems that sustain the livelihoods of coastal communities.

The project Manager GIZ will also partner with Kwale on aquaculture value chain development, skills development and matching, as well as supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the county.

Courtesy; KNA