Abstract:
The Yala swamp is an extensive wetland in western Kenya,
covering an area of 17'500 ha. The wetland, together with
its three lakes, is an important site for biodiversity
conservation. The local community has been associated with
the wetland for a long time, and they obtain key resources
from it. To date, however, 2300 ha of the wetland have been
reclaimed for agricultural production, and there are fresh
proposals for further reclamations.
The aims of this paper are to describe the patterns of utilisation
of the wetland, including a preliminary economic valuation
of the resources, and compare these with the costs and benefits
of conversion. Surveys, interviews, and participant observation
were used to obtain information. Direct economic values
were calculated for fisheries, water transportation, agriculture,
building materials, fuelwood, grazing, hunting, mat making,
salt licks, and tourism. Indirect values include medicinal
plants, vegetables, flood control, and wildlife habitats. The
wetland also has existence and option values, which will be
lost if the swamp is converted.
Comparing these values with the short-term gains, and the
cost of conversion, and considering soil degradation and
disruption of the socio-cultural situation, it is suggested that
the wetland provides valuable economic resources to support
the population, and should not be converted. Instead,
traditional sustainable uses of the wetland should be promoted
for the benefit of the local people.
