Kenya: Kenya is edging closer to designating a new marine Ramsar site along the South Coast. The Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) is leading efforts to have the Msambweni-Vanga seascape recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
According to Kenya News Agency, the proposed designation, covering about 700 square kilometres from Msambweni to Vanga in Kwale County, is intended to strengthen marine conservation while safeguarding livelihoods for coastal communities dependent on fishing, tourism, and other marine-based activities. Senior Principal Research Scientist at WRTI and Head of the Coastal and Marine Research Centre in Malindi, Dr. Mohamed Omar, said the initiative was being implemented under the ‘Go Blue Programme’ funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Union.
Omar explained that the Ramsar proposal builds on gains made under the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve ten-year management plan (2015-2025), whose conclusion has necessitated a shift towards a broader, seascape-level conservation approach. He emphasized the need for a landscape-scale approach that connects conservation and sustainable use across the Msambweni-Vanga seascape.
Omar highlighted that Ramsar designation promotes the ‘wise use’ of wetlands, allowing communities to continue benefiting from marine resources while ensuring long-term sustainability. He noted that Kenya currently protects less than one per cent of its marine ecosystems, far below global targets set under the Global Biodiversity Framework, which requires countries to conserve 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
He further stated that WRTI has undertaken management effectiveness assessments and reviewed management plans for marine protected areas along the South Coast, including Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve and the Diani-Chale area, to inform the Ramsar proposal. A cost-benefit analysis for the Msambweni-Vanga seascape demonstrated that economic returns from conservation outweighed the cost of managing marine ecosystems.
Omar mentioned that consultations with local communities indicated strong support for the Ramsar proposal, citing tangible benefits already derived from conservation-linked tourism. WRTI is currently compiling documentation for submission to the Ramsar Secretariat while intensifying community sensitisation across the proposed site.
As part of community empowerment efforts under the Go Blue Programme, WRTI has trained about 60 community members on natural resource management, financial management, entrepreneurship, tourism marketing, and environmental conservation. Omar said the institute is engaging partners to scale the initiative into a national marine leadership training programme aligned with Kenya’s blue-economy agenda.
Existing community-managed marine areas in Vanga and Kibuyuni will be incorporated within the Ramsar framework, with management to be undertaken jointly by government agencies and local communities. Omar concluded that the designation is expected to secure long-term conservation and livelihoods beyond the lifespan of the Go Blue project.
