Saving cranes as gate way to water security

NAIROBI, KENYA: The disappearance of grey crowned crane, a wetland dependent bird from areas traditionally known to host significant flocks is of key concern to conservationists.

As an indicator species, grey crowned cranes serve as an early warning of wetland degradation. Disappearance of the species indicate deterioration of the status of our wetlands which should be of concern to all given the myriads of environmental goods and services wetlands provide which include recharge of water supplies, water filtration, reduction of flood risks and provision of habitat for wildlife.

The fact that grey crowned crane is a totem among most communities in Kenya and elsewhere confirms its high cultural significance that indirectly confirms the value of wetlands for water recharge.

Deeply entrenched cultural values and norms that prohibit harming it have contributed to its conservation. Kenya has the largest population of Grey Crowned Cranes in Africa (estimated at 10,000-12,000 individuals in 2014) followed by Uganda and South Africa.

It is estimated that more than three-quarters of the world’s Grey Crowned Cranes live in Kenya and Uganda.

Despite its ecological and cultural values, the Grey Crowned Crane is globally threatened.  It is listed as Endangered in the 2012 IUCN Red Data List, meaning that the species is likely to become extinct if no serious mitigation measures are taken.

It is also listed under Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) as a priority species requiring urgent and dedicated conservation measures. It is estimated that the species’ global population has declined by 65- 80 percent in the last 45 years.

Globally, the degradation of the crane’s habitats is of major concern, primarily through agricultural encroachment, afforestation especially through planting of eucalyptus, mining and changes in hydrology associated with increased abstraction of ground water.

Poor farming methods in watersheds result to increased nutrient and sediment loads that compromise the integrity of wetlands to effectively provide the much needed ecosystem goods and services.

Eutrophication and siltation contributes to the menace of invasive species, which is wreaking havoc in several wetlands in Kenya. 

For instance, increased agricultural activities around Saiwa Swamp, an important breeding site for the cranes, has seen an increase in invasive plant species in Saiwa National Park.

Expansion of agricultural activities such as sugar cane farming into wetlands is associated with drainage, and the use of agro-chemicals that negatively impact on wetlands and cranes.

Uncontrolled grazing in wetlands and riverine areas are associated with burning aimed at enhancing access to water, fresh pasture and fodder. Unregulated movement of livestock interferes with cranes nests while some herders engage in poaching of cranes eggs, chicks, and sometimes mature birds through snaring. There are indications of illegal trade in cranes and their products (eggs) especially in Busia, along Kenya Uganda border.

Cranes are also captured from the wild and sold as ornaments for private gardens or hotels, having their wings clipped, or broken, so that they cannot fly away. Human and livestock disturbance also is a threat as cranes spend more time watching people than tending to nests and chicks, resulting in fewer chicks reaching adulthood.

Electrocution and poisoning pose further threats. These threats fall in three categories; threats causing habitat loss, and degradation, threats causing reduced breeding success and reproductive rates, and threats directly causing reduced adult and juvenile survival.

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) / Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) partnership has been supporting initiatives aimed at conserving Grey Crowned Cranes in Kenya over the last 15 years. This has been through partnerships with local conservation organizations and individuals.

The Kipsaina Crane and Wetland Conservation Group (KCWGC), based in Trans Nzoia county, is one such organization through which the ICF/ EWT partnership has advanced the cranes conservation agenda in Kenya with financial support from Headley Trust, Whitley Fund for Nature, Denver Zooand the Dohmen Family Foundation.

Major interventions undertaken by KCWCG entails monitoring of cranes and their breeding and feeding habitats aimed at generating data for enhanced management. Data is submitted to the ICF/EWT Partnership on monthly basis, contributing to the centralised African database on cranes hosted by the EWT.

From January 2017, the ICF/EWT Partnership has partnered with Community Action for Nature Conservation (CANCO), with the aim of up scaling cranes conservation initiatives in Kenya. A Kenya crane and wetland conservation project has been initiated, which will be part of the African Crane Conservation Program of the ICF/EWT Partnership.

Development of an International Single Species Action Plan for conservation of Grey Crowned Cranes under AEWA ,  development and launch of National Wetlands Policy and Strategy for Kenya, and National Spatial Plan 2015-2045 are among important initiatives that will spur conservation of cranes and their habitats in Kenya.

Lack of a single species action plan for cranes in Kenya are among priority challenges that require concerted stakeholder effort. Uganda is among the few African countries that has developed a Single Species Action Plan for Grey Crowned Cranes.

It is hoped that Kenya’s Single Species Action Plan for Grey Crowned Cranes, will be among others that lay out innovative measures for effectively securing cranes’ habitats from the increasing threat of unsustainable land uses such as growing of eucalyptus trees.

Besides being habitats of cranes and other wildlife, Wetlands provide a fall back for vulnerable communities to adapt to negative impacts of climate change hence the urgent need for their conservation.