Why is WBMS needed? Eastern Africa holds some of the most important wetlands in the world. Wetlands provide habitats for an enormous variety of plants and animals; this variety is termed biodiversity. Healthy wetlands are a vital social and economic resource for people. The wise and sustainable use of many wetlands can only be achieved through appropriate management based on long­-term monitoring information. Aims of WBMS To collect, manage and disseminate monitoring information for wetlands and waterbirds in eastern Africa. To use monitoring information to support the sustainable use of wetlands for the benefit of both people and wildlife. What does WBMS actually do ? WBMS organises volunteers and professional staff to make coordinated counts of birds and collect other wetland information from hundreds of sites in nine eastern African countries. WBMS collates, stores and manages monitoring information in the WBMS database. WBMS provides data for conservation purposes to a range of national and internationalorganisations.

How is WBMS organised ? WBMS is coordinated at the eastern African regional level through the WBMS Secretariat, hosted by the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi. Each of the nine countries participating in WBMS has a national organiser, responsible for coordinating site level monitoring. Fieldwork is undertaken by staff from the partnership organisations and volunteers.         How is information from WBMS used? Once the information has been collected and put into the WBMS database, it is used for a wide variety of purposes for the benefit of both people and wildlife. These uses include providing data to ... Underpin wetland management plans. Underpin species action plans. Identify trends in water resources and wetland biodiversity. Promote site protection through designation. Support national responsibilities in relation to international agreements e.g. Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Migratory Species. How can you help WBMS ? Many organisations and individuals are helping to make WBMS a successful scheme. Please contact us if... You wish to volunteer for fieldwork. You have data that could be used by WBMS. You are interested in providing financial support or sponsorship to WBMS.

The WBMS partnership WBMS is a collaboration between organisations from nine countries [Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda] in the eastern African region. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Wetlands International provide a range of support for the scheme.             Contact us WBMS Secretariat C/o: National Museums of Kenya, Museum Hill, PO Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya Phone: +254 (0] 203742131 Fax: +254[0] 203741424 E-mail: onasirwa@africaonline.co.ke   WBMS was initiated as part of a collaborative project funded by the UK's Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species.