Wetlands are usually areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh,  brackish  or  salt,  including  areas  of  marine  water  the  depth  of  which  at  low  tide  does  not  exceed  six  meters.  In  Eastern  Africa  Wetlands face  many  challenges  as  a  result  of  human  encroachment,  conversion  to  other  land  uses,  pollution  and  climatic  change.  Identification  and quantification  of  change  areas,  and  presentation  of  the  results  for  the  purpose  of  decision  making  is  the  work  of  Wetland  Monitoring  and Assessment, under the GMES and Africa program.

Objectives

• Build institutional and human capacities in accessing and utilizing EO data in assessing and monitoring Wetlands.
• Improve decision making process in the management of Wetlands as a natural resource through provision of additional pertinent information.
• Foster partnerships by addressing common and interconnected environmental challenges resulting from widespread conversion of Wetland to other land use.

Target End Users

• Regional institutions with political mandate e.g. EAC, IGAD, AUC, etc..
• Natural resource management authorities such as DRSRS and WRMA in Kenya, NEMA in  Uganda, MHUE in Djibouti
• Wetland Management Authorities in the respective focal institutions in the target countries.
• Universities and research institutions such as Makerere University and other respective focal institutions.
• Private sector with specialized skills and technology in earth observation.
• Civil society working with grassroots communities and vulnerable people living within the wetland environs