Tana Delta Sugarcane project update 16^th February 2009

 Dear all,

 For background information on the proposed Tana Integrated Sugar Project please go to the end of this email

 2008 milestones

 Thank you for your support for the campaign to save the Tana River Delta in 2008. Key milestones for the campaign by end of December 2008 include:

• A global network of institutions and individuals established to lobby for the conservation of Tana Delta for its biodiversity, ecology and local livelihoods
• Local people mobilised to speak for their rights
• Court orders obtained temporarily halting plans to grow sugarcane in the Delta
• Global awareness on the issue created via extensive media coverage
• BirdLife International launched a High profile campaign with partners writing to the Kenya Government and diplomatic missions abroad
• Online petition launched with more than 191,000 protest letters send to the Kenya government
• Documentary under production
• A Save the Tana Delta website set up www.tanariverdelta.org
• Multilateral Environmental agreements register concern for the Tana Delta

 We all contributed to these successes. The Delta is still there, not under sugarcane. However, the battle is far from over as there are new threats from Qatar &lsquoroposing to grow fruits and vegetables’ in the Delta.

Update

Publicity

1. The July-Sept 2008 issue of the Swara Magazine (a publication of the East African Wildlife society) carried several articles on the Tana Delta and the proposed sugar project: Tana Delta…the story behind the story - by Jill Retief; Saccharify? Not worth the sacrifice! – by Hadley Becha and A stay of execution by Wachira Kang’aru
2. In December 2008 and January 2009 there was a lot of publicity on the Tana River Delta, especially plans by Qatar to ‘grow vegetables and fruits’ in some 40,000 ha (the area varies in different media, from 16,200 ha to 100,000 ha). In return, Qatar will allegedly construct a port in Lamu town. The only source of information on this proposal has been the media, with the stories originating from the Presidential Press unit. To date there has been no formal statement(s) on the issue

3.      2^nd Dec 2008 Qatar looks to grow food in Kenya http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/02/land-for-food-qatar-kenya

1. 21^st Dec 2008 The Daily Nation, Tana Delta controversy: President defends land lease
2. 22^nd Dec 08,  the Daily Nation, Coast leaders’ verdict on the Qatar land deal
3. 22^nd-28^th Dec 08, The East African, Lamu port deal: Kenya to sell Tana Delta Land
4. 23^rd Dec 08 The Daily Nation, There is more to this land-for-port building deal than meets the eye
5. 29^th Dec 08 The Standard, Mungatana opposes land deal with Qatar
6. 3^rd January 2009 The Daily Nation, Why Qatar-Tana River land deal requires further discussion
7. 3^rd Jan 09, The Saturday Nation, With such projects, Africa will remain a rich continent with a beggar’s bowl – an article by Prof. Wangari Maathai, Nobel Laureate
8. 3^rd Jan 09, the Daily Nation, Tana Delta Row: Residents’ rights must be respected – an article by Hadley Becha, Deputy Director of the East African Wildlife Society
9. 6^th Jan 09 The Standard, Qatar land deal not unique to Kenya – an article by Satwinder Rehal, Philippines
10. 12^th January 2009, the Daily Nation Rich Countries launch great land grab to ensure food supply for their citizens
11. Voice of America journalist(s) visited the Delta in January 2009 and have prepared a feature that they are availing to us for public awareness purposes. I haven’t viewed the feature and will keep you posted on content and availability of CDs in the next few days.

PS am happy to avail scans of these articles on request.

 Tana film

1. A draft of the Tana film is out, and it is great. Adrian is doing the final editing over the next few days. Over the next three days, the Nature Kenya officers on the ground will show the (draft) film in the delta, to raise local people’s awareness just before the court case on 19^th Feb 2009. The film is kindly funded by the RSPB, the Darwin Initiative, biodiversity films project (coordinated by Dr. David Harper), Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz (Swiss BirdLife partner), DOF (BirdLife in Denmark).IUCN and the EU.

Advocacy

1. Key meetings have been convened by Kenya Wildlife Service (7^th January 09) and the Kenya Wetlands Forum (8^th January) on the threats to the Delta, old (sugar) and emerging (Qatar)
2. The Kenya Wetlands Forum (KWF) held a meeting with Galole MP with a request to raise the sugar and Qatar proposals in parliament.
3. Hydrological study – discussions underway. The study will inform stakeholders and support the Ramsar listing process
4. Nature Kenya has engaged two staff to be based in the Tana Delta. The staff will serve as technical persons on the ground and rally community support for the management planning process for the Delta
5. The KWF has conducted extensive advocacy and awareness campaigns in January and February 2009 reaching many parts of the Delta

Court case

1. A High court case hearing for the Delta is scheduled for 19^th Feb 2009 at the High Court in Malindi

Financial support

The campaign to save the Tana River Delta is kindly supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife in UK), Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz (Swiss BirdLife partner) and DOF (BirdLife in Denmark).

Thank you for your support

Background

Mumias Sugar Company (MSC) Ltd. and Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA), in a planned private joint venture, are proposing to turn 20,000 hectares of the mostly pristine Tana River Delta over to sugarcane. The main features of the Tana Integrated Sugar Project (TISP) are: 16,000 ha of irrigated sugarcane production through estate; 4,000 ha of out grower systems; water supply to the project; a sugar factory and co-generation facility of up to 34 megawatts power capacity; an ethanol production plant; and livestock supporting activities, including fisheries. On 11^th June 2008 Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) approved the project’s EIA. Environmental organisations are opposed to NEMA’s decision citing the impact of the project on the Tana Delta’s ecology, biodiversity and local people’s livelihoods.

 Thank you for your support

 awsecinfo@gmail.com