Masai Mara News Round-up

Maasai Mara has lost half its animals

The Maasai Mara has lost almost 60 per cent of its large animals, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme.

Proposed park fee increases threaten tourism recovery in Kenya

In a proposed staggered increase over the next two years, KWS announced they were seeking a low- and high-season entrance fee, ranging for category one parks between US$60 and US$90 a day, while some of the lesser-visited parks would continue to attract lower fees of US$50. However, under plans to rebrand some of the parks, these categories may also be revised in order to generate more income for those protected areas.


Stakeholders have also expressed concern over what such KWS increases may mean for parks managed by county councils, with an eye on the Masai Mara, which already charges at present US$80 per person, per day. One usually reliable source mentioned to this correspondent that the Narok county council has, behind closed doors, been toying with a US$100 charge, which if found correct – is expected to be tagged onto the KWS move very soon – may sharply increase the cost of safaris to Kenya. Charges in neighboring countries are still comparably lower, but other competitive disadvantages keep the cost of photographic safaris there high, too.

Congratulations to the Mara River Water User's Association

Congratulations is in order for the Mara River Water User's Association!  They have just been notified that they are one of the recipients of the Equator Prize.  They were selected in the top 25 winning initiatives from a total of over 300 nominations from 66 different countries!

GREAT JOB!

• Official Announcement from the Equator Initiative
• Read more about the MRWUA
• What is the Equator Prize?

Want more information?  Download the Mara River Water User's Association Information Brochure for 2010.  We picked this up from Kennedy during our visit to their office in Mulot two weeks ago.

Evaluation of Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem Health in the Mara River Basin

Beth McCartney just wrapped up a very nice evaluation of water quality and aquatic ecosystem health for the Mara River Basin as part of her Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies at Florida International University.  Download a copy of her thesis.  

The abstract:

Limited capacity and lack of urgency have left many regions of the Mara River Basin unstudied resulting in uncertainty and ambiguity when forming management strategies. Eutrophication, flow alteration, land use conversion, pathogens and suspended sediment are of concern throughout the region.

This study provides a better understanding of baseline conditions, river status and health, throughout the Basin using in-situ water chemistry parameters, nutrient analysis and macro invertebrate indicators, in coordination with a geographic information system. Additionally, visual assessments were conducted to note local users, immediate land-uses and riparian condition. Though

basin scale trends were generally not evident, some sites exhibited locally elevated parameter levels. The effects of local land-use and observed degradation were evident. Though pollution and poor ecosystem health do not appear to be widespread, the long-

term repercussions of land conversion, climate change and resource demands will warrant more consistent, in-depth monitoring of the system.

Amanda Subalusky, Doris Ombara and Beth McCartney

No Water No Life Video from their Mara River Expedition

Allison Jones and No Water No Life have just released one of their videos from their Mara River Expedition.  You may remember how we accompanied them through part of the basin a few months ago.  Check it out below then continue on to their website to see all the other great work they are doing in different watersheds.

http://nowater-nolife.org/watersheds/mara/MauForest09/index.html

The Mamas of Ol Chorro

Several of the Mamas of Ol Chorro singing at the commissioning of a protected spring and water tank at the Ol Chorro Secondary School in Mulot, Kenya.  This project was completed by the Mara River Water User's Association with funding through the Water and Development Alliance - TCCC and USAID.

Learn more about the Mara River Water User's Association by downloading their informational pamphlet.

The Children of Chemaner

WWF-ESARPO hosted our Q3 meeting in the upper catchment of the Mara River Basin.  During our field visits, we stopped by and saw the work of WWF in Chemaner.  Here is a video of the Children of Chemaner.

Mara River Flows Newsletter - June 2010

The June issue of the Mara River Flows Newsletter is NOW AVAILABLE.

Get updated on developments within the Mara River Basin over the last month by downloading a copy now.
  

Honey

Two Maasai children in Oletikut enjoying some freshly harvested honey.

Introducing...

Nathan Karres...new Project Coordinator for the Trans-boundary Water for Biodiversity and Human Health in the Mara River Basin, Kenya and Tanzania.  Nathan officially relieves me of my position within the next few weeks as Amanda and I return to the United States to attend graduate school.  Karibu.

You will be hearing more on this soon....please join us in welcoming Nathan to the GLOWS team!

Posing next to a project sign in Kirindon, Kenya

View Point