25 July 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the formation of the Tana Basin Coordination and Information Platform, which it says will focus on promoting the sustainable allocation of the Kenyan river’s resources. The Tana Basin covers approximately 20% of Kenya’s total land area, supplies 32% of drinking water nationally, and is the country’s only source of hydroelectric power.

According to UNEP, current threats to the Tana Basin include deforestation in the upper catchment, through logging to produce timber and charcoal, which adversely affects water quality and quantity, and sand mining. UNEP says that fisheries and agriculture in the basin provide a major source of food and employment. The river delta also is a biodiversity hotspot, and is home to several endangered primate species.

The Tana Basin Coordination and Information Platform is supported by over 100 organizations, including UNEP, other UN bodies, government agencies, national and international NGOs, private companies and research institutes. It will seek to combine these groups’ expertise to identify priority issues for ensuring the health and productivity of the Tana River ecosystem. [UNEP Press Release]