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The Tana River Delta (02°27’S 040°17’E) is the second most important
estuarine and deltaic ecosystem in Eastern Africa and is Kenya's 6th Ramsar Site
with a significant local community of cattle
herders and others dependent on it who have lived in and around the delta
for centuries.
It covers an area of 163,600ha (404,000 acres) and comprises of a diverse
range of habitats that support a rich diversity of wildlife and plants including
coastal and marine prawns, shrimps, bivalves and fish, five species of
threatened marine turtles and IUCN red-listed African elephant (Loxodonta
africana), Tana Mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus), Tana River Red
Colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus rufomitratus) and White-collared
Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis albotorquatus). Over 600 plant species have
been identified, including the endangered Cynometra lukei and
Gonatopus marattioides. It also supports many tens of thousands of
wetland birds and is internationally important for the survival of no less than
22 species of birds “…making the
delta one of the key sites in the country for waterbird conservation”
(BirdLife International).
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Latest News
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12th October 2012 - designation of Tana Delta Ramsar Site
After many years of data collection and mapping by
Kenya Wildlife Service,
KenWeb,
Kenya Wetlands Forum and
others, the Tana River Delta has been designated as Kenya's 6th Ramsar
Site. This will significantly raise the profile of the delta for its
importance for biodiversity conservation and assist in the process of having it
better conserved. For further information read more
here...
10th October 2011
Following on from the high-level inter-ministerial team that visited the Tana
River Delta in mid-September, an official communiqué was published regarding the
government's committment to seeing a thorough process implemented to achieve a
proper management plan for the delta - and for other deltas in Kenya. This
communiqué can be read
here.
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Help save the delta
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| A project of A Rocha |
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