Enhancing wetland ecosystem services

through integrated aquaculture production

systems at the shores of Lake Victoria

Julius Kipkemboi1, N.Kitaka1 , J.M Mathooko2, A.A van Dam3 & P. Denny3

1Egerton University, Kenya 2Global Research Akademik and Mentoring Services (GRAMS),

Nakuru, Kenya 2UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands

CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM AND WATER

MANAGEMENT IN THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

REGION OF KENYA.CONFERENCE

, DATES: 3rd Feb. 2015

VENUE: KISUMU HOTEL -MASENO UNIVERSITY , KENYA

Extensive conversion

of wetland margin for

crop production

Increasing pressure

on natural biomass

harvesting

Wetland loss

Owino and Ryan (2007)

estimated wetland loss

around Winam Gulf at 43%

Courtesy of UNEP

Threat to wetlands

Wetland provisioning services

• Wetlands provide the conditions for growing food.

• Food comes principally from managed agro-ecosystems

• Wild foods from wetlands often underestimated.

Wetland supporting Services

• Wetlands provide habitats for species;

• Habitats provide everything that an individual plant or animal needs to survive; food; water; and shelter.

• Wetlands provides different habitats that are essential for a species’ lifecycle.

• Many fish depend on wetlands for spawning

Concept

• Based on flood recession fishery

Concept…

Integration into existing systems

Subsistance farming

Fingerpond system

Wetland wise - use

Enhanced socio - economic benefit

Sustainable productivity

from wetlands

HOUSEHOLDS

Manure Waste

Fingerpond systems – natural system, dry season

Fingerpond systems – natural system, wet season

Fingerpond systems – contruction and flooding

Fingerpond systems – in use

Research objectives

Explore the potential of enhancing food production from natural

wetlands to improve livelihoods

Investigate the integration of Fingerponds into the existing farming

systems as a way of encouraging sustainable use of floodplain and

littoral wetlands

Winam gulf

Where was this study conducted in Kenya?

Community participation

Scientific data collection

-Biophysical suitability

-Socio-economics

-Nutrient flows

-environmental impact monitoring

Research activities

Biophysical suitability

Clayey wetland soils suitable

for aquaculture

Ponds are adequately stocked

naturally by annual floods in

the wetland: fish densities > 3

fish /m2

Predominantly 3 species of

tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)

Nyangera

Oreochromis spp. 70%

Haplochromis spp. 24%

Others 6%

Kusa Clarias gariepinus

16%

Others 7%

Oreochromis spp. 77%

Others

Clarias gariepinus

Aplocheilichthys sp

Ctenopoma muriei

Protopterus aethiopicus

Others

Protopterus aethiopicus

Aplocheilichthys sp

Ctenopoma muriei

Pond hydrology and culture period duration

1. Flood water harvesting (inundated Fingerpond)

2. Pond isolated (fish census and start of season)

– No inflows and outflows

3. Critical water depth marks the end of season (harvest)

1

2

3 5-6 months

Pond hydrology and culture period duration

Seasonal Pond water

budget model

Fingerponds production

Fish yields: average 20 kg per

approx. 200 m2 per season

Vegetable yields averaged

340 kg of kales (sukuma wiki)

per year per approx. 200 m2

Comparison of protein supply per unit area by

different farming enteprises

0

50

100

150

200

250

Cereals Legumes Vegetable Fruits Sweet potatoes

Ruminants Arrowroots Fingerponds

Pro

tein

su

pp

ly (

kg

/ha

/yr)

0

1

2

3

4

5

wetland

vegetables

papyrus rainfed

agriculture

kitchen

garden

livestock sale of

labour

Fingerponds

Me

dia

n r

an

kin

g

Natural Physical Human Social Financial

0

1

2

3

4

5

wetland

vegetables

papyrus rainfed

agriculture

kitchen

garden

livestock sale of

labour

Fingerponds

Me

dia

n r

an

kin

g

Natural Physical Human Social Financial

Household activities and livelihoods

Based on DFID Sustainable Livelihood Assessment (SLA)

Monitoring of possible environmental

impacts

Total nitrogen

Total phosphorus

Species change limited to weeds

of arable cultivation in the

vegetable gardens

No indication of leaching of

nutrient-rich pondwater into the

immediate wetland groundwater

Distance (m)

Pond 0.5-2.0 5.0-7.0 10.0-50.0

Concentr

ation (

mgl-1

)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

a a a

b

Distance (m)

Pond 0.5-2.0 5.0-7.0 10.0-50.0

Concentr

ation (

mgl-1

)

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

a

ab

ab

b

Implementation challenges

–Fingerpond siting

Flood regime

Pockets of sodic soils

–Uncertainty of water supply and natural fish stocking

–Excessive reproduction by tilapia

–Low adoption rate

Potential for application/scaling up

–Community support- BMUs

–Adaptive approach Ponds at the fringe can be used for re-stocking lake fishery

–Policy and guidelines on sustainable wetland use Trade off between different ecosystem services

Conclusion and recomendation

Fingerponds can be used to enhance wetland provisioning services and habitat functions.

Like any innovative approach there are challenges but these can be overcomed by adaptive management.

There is need to include such sustainable approaches in wetland policy with clear guidelines for communities and decision-makers.

Acknowledgement

European union Fingerponds project

(Contract no. ICA4-CT-2001-10037)

Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya

Fingerponds scientists and local communities

at the respective study sites

International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden and Swedish International Development

Cooperation Agency Department for Natural Resources and the Environment (Sida NATUR),

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Grant no. W/3427-1)