Tana River Delta Ramsar Site

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Hyphaene palm grove at Shakako, Tana Delta by Peter Usher
Livestock grazing Dide Waride, Tana Delta by John Mwacharo
Tana River banks with mangroves at Kipini by Peter Usher

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site

  • Country: 
    Kenya
  • Site number: 
    2082
  • Area: 
    163,600 ha
  • Designation date: 
    09-07-2012
  • Coordinates: 
    02°29'S 40°17'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Tana River Delta Ramsar Site is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) and the is the second most important estuarine and deltaic ecosystem in East Africa, with diverse freshwater, floodplain, estuarine and coastal habitats featuring extensive and varied mangrove systems, pristine beaches and shallow marine areas. This diversity of habitats contributes to the the ecological functions of the delta, enabling it to support a rich diversity of plants and animals. The delta is vital to the survival of many  threatened species such as the critically endangered Dugong dugon and Aders’ duiker (Cephalophus adersi), the endangered Tana River mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus) and Tana River Red colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus), and the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana). It also provides habitat for several marine species, including shrimp, crabs, mussels and fish, and is an important feeding and wintering area for migratory waterbirds, including wading birds, gulls and terns. It has over 600 plant species, including the endangered Cynometra lukei and Gonatopus marattioides. Human activities in the delta include fishing, small-scale family farming, mangrove wood harvesting, livestock grazing, tourism and also research, including ongoing protection and monitoring of nesting turtles and conservation of dugong.

Administrative region: 
Tana River County

  • National legal designation: 
    • National Forest Reserve - Chara
    • National Forest Reserve - Kilelengwani
    • National Forest Reserve - Kipini Forest
    • National Forest Reserve - Ozi Forest
  • Last publication date: 
    28-05-2024