New African Territories

Lower Tana Delta Conservation Trusts

The Lower Tana Delta Conservation Trust was founded in 2004 when the local indigenous community realized that to protect the magnificent ecosystems contained in the wetland of the Lower Tana, from forests of mangrove, doum palm and riverine species to vast open wetland plains and rolling sand dune ecosystems, they must come together and protect it themselves. The wetland area home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, some species endemic or endangered, as well as the indigenous communities way of life were under constant threat of rampant ‘development’ schemes such as plantations of sugar and jatropha. The efforts of the community (mainly of the Pokomo and semi-nomadic Orma tribe) aim to conserve this wetland as they have done for generations, through projects that exist in harmony with the deltaic systems, such as eco-tourism (the Trust have a 20% share in Delta Dunes lodge and a community lodge of their own) and employing game scouts to monitor activity in the area. Moreover they wish to generally improve the standard living for the local people who have been on the ‘periphery’ for so long. There is currently no electricity across the whole of the Lower Tana and educational facilitates remain extremely poor. Plans for a ‘mobile library’ which would assist in so many areas for the community in the LTDCT are underway although we are still seeking the funding for such an amazing project. In general any assistance towards improving education be it a solar light or donations of books would be extremely supportive to this community as a whole.