Saving wetlands for people and wildlife, co-design knowledge & engagement

Empowering youth in community planning: Through the Gambella wetland initiative, young people lead participatory mapping, ecosystem monitoring, and conservation education to protect their environment.
Empowering youth in community planning: Through the Gambella wetland initiative, young people lead participatory mapping, ecosystem monitoring, and conservation education to protect their environment. / Photo: Beverline Isaboke, Cetrad

Saving wetlands for people and wildlife, co-design knowledge & engagement

  • Our Objective

    This project brings communities and partners together to shape a shared future for wetland conservation in northern Kenya, blending local knowledge, science, and inclusive dialogue.

  • Figures

    The project was launched on March 17, 2022 and is currently in progress.

Summary

Long a vital source of water and grazing for people and wildlife, the Gambella Wetland in northern Kenya is now under growing pressure from farming and overuse. In response, community elders, youth, and conservation partners are coming together around its seasonal pools to map resources and discuss how to protect its future.

By holding local dialogues, reviving traditional practices, and sharing knowledge across generations, the project helps build practical plans for managing the wetland. Community members and researchers work side by side to identify priority areas, test new land-use practices, and ensure fair access to water and pasture.

These steps, including new water access, local tree planting, and stronger local committees, are helping communities safeguard the wetland as a lasting source of balance and opportunity.

Project Connections

Timeline

  • Youth-led tree nurseries for restoring the Gambella Wetland

    Project Update January 26, 2026

    Led by the Enlite Youth Group from Gambella, a youth-managed tree nursery is playing a key role in restoring the Gambella Wetland in Meru County, Kenya. By producing native seedlings for wetland and landscape rehabilitation, the nursery links restoration with income for young people, who are earning from seedling sales while building practical conservation skills.The Gambella Wetland sits between the water-rich Mount Kenya highlands and the arid lowlands. It is a dry-season refuge for wildlife, pastoralists, and farming communities. In recent years, rapid land-use change and groundwater abstraction have strained this fragile system, reducing water availability and intensifying competition among users.Situated between the water-rich highlands of Mount Kenya and the arid lowlands, the Gambella Wetland is a critical source of water for wildlife, pastoralists, and farming communities—especially during dry seasons. Rapid land-use change and increased groundwater extraction have placed growing pressure on this fragile ecosystem, threatening water availability for both people and nature.By linking youth leadership, tree nurseries, and wetland restoration, the initiative strengthens local ownership, builds conservation skills, and supports long-term ecosystem recovery. Implemented by CETRAD in partnership with the Wyss Academy for Nature, and in collaboration with local communities, Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), and government institutions, the project demonstrates how nature-based solutions can deliver lasting ecological and socio-economic benefits.Watch to see how youth-led action is helping restore the Gambella Wetland while creating opportunities for the next generation.

    Enlite youth group, working in the tree nurseries

  • Empowering youth to take part in wetland protection

    Project Update January 12, 2025

    Map of Gambella Wetlands

Team

  • Project contact

    Dr. Boniface Kiteme
    Associated Senior Partner

    A person with glasses in a plaid shirt smiling and putting their hands forward
    Project contact

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