Elephant Marsh Ramsar Site (201140)
Malawi, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Elephant Marsh Ramsar Site
Central coordinates: Latitude: -16.3583, Longitude: 35.0162
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 46 to 500
Area of KBA (km2): 608.64292
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: The Elephant Marsh is situated within the floodplain of the Lower Shire River in Southern Malawi. Its area varies between approximately 500sqkm in the dry season to 2700sqkm in the rainy season. It is shared by the two administrative districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje. The Marsh is a global biodiversity hotspot and was designated as a Ramsar site with number 2308 on 1 July 2017. It supports over 20,000 waterbirds with 110 waterbird species (among which 26 breed in the area), 65 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 108 mammal species, and 58 species of reptiles including the Nile crocodile, which is the largest reptile in the Marsh.
The habitat types include lagoons, floodplains, marshes, and river banks. The Marsh is a mosaic of rooted swamp vegetation, floating vegetation and open water with grassy margins and reed beds, interspersed with islands containing reeds, shrubs and palm trees.
The Elephant Marsh area are important for both agriculture and fisheries production within Malawi supporting over 160,000 people in and around the area.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The Elephant Marsh qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) of international significance, with five species meeting different thresholds of the global KBA standard. Ardeola idae triggers the KBA under A1a and D1a, Rynchops flavirostris under D1a, Enteromius choloensis under B1, Serranochromis robustus under A1c, and Oreochromis mossambicus under A1b and A1d.
Additional biodiversity: The Elephant Marsh wetland is a Ramsar site. It regularly supports ≥20 000 waterbirds and is also known to hold ≥1% of the delineated population of waterbird species such as the Openbill Stork, Whiskered Tern, and the African Skimmer. It also regularly supports ≥1% biogeographic population of congregatory waterbird species such as the Common Squacco Heron, Black Egret, Little Egret, Openbill Stork, Purple Gallinule, Common Pratincole, Whiskered Tern and African Skimmer.
Manageability of the site: The Elephant Marsh is managed as a single unit. The Department of National Parks and Willdlife (Secretariat for wetlands management in Malawi), Department of Forestry, Department of Fisheries, Department of Environmental Affairs, Elephant Marsh Association, local structures, and stakeholders join hands with the two district councils of Chikwawa and Nsanje to support the communities of the Elephant to ensure sustainable management and utilization of biological resources in the Marsh.
The area is being proposed to be a Community Conservation Area (CCA) under the current World Bank Funded Shire Valley Transformation Project running from 2018 to 2031 with the intention of balancing local livelihood
needs with the longer-term, sustainable management of the marsh ecosystem. Communities within and surrounding the site boundaries actively participate in the identification of biodiversity hotspots as CCAs and formulation of bylaws for their management. 6 CCA hotspot areas and 6 CCA committees have already been established in the Elephant Marsh. The CCA sites will finally be consolidated and one CCA governing body will be created out of the local committees. Communities are poised to benefit from livelihood interventions such as ecotourism and are sensitised to utilise biological resources in the Marsh sustainably.
Other site values: The Elephant Marsh falls under customary land use rights but there are no indigenous people. The Marsh is important for both agriculture and fisheries production within Malawi. Local populations derive important food and income from wetland farming, fishing, and the harvesting of wetland products. In addition to household subsistence farming, there is also intensive commercial cash crop production of sugar cane by Illovo, Prescane, Agricane at Kaombe, and Kasinthula small holder farmers on the western side of the Marsh.
Local authorities including village heads, beach village committees (BVCs), Community Conservation Area (CCA) committees, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs), and Area Development Committees (ADCs) play important roles in facilitating access to resources and the Marsh.
Delineation rationale: Delineation is aligned with the Elephant Marsh Ramsar Site boundary (UNEP-WCMC, 2024), based on the extent of high water flooding and the five ecological zones. This boundary was defined through consultations between government departments, Chikwawa and Nsanje district councils, and stakeholders.
The marsh extends from Kamuzu Bridge in Chikwawa (upstream) to Chiromo Bridge at Bangula (downstream). The northwest boundary excludes commercial enterprises like Prescane, Kasinthula, Phata, and Sande ranch, following the edge of Illovo sugarcane fields to Ngabu, and continues along the transition zone separating the wetland and upland to Kaombe, ending at Chiromo in Bangula. On the south and central eastern side, it is bounded by the Thyolo escarpment that rises from the edge of the transition zone separating the wetland and the upland through Lisuli lagoon to Kamuzu Bridge.
UNEP-WCMC (2024). Protected Area Profile for Elephant Marsh from the World Database on Protected Areas, August 2024. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The Elephant Marsh comprises of a diversity of aquatic and floodplain habitats that vary with the flooding cycle and it is utilised to different extents in different parts. In the north, it is typically a seasonal wetland; in the centre region, it is semi-permanent marshland, and; in the south, it is characterised by semi-permanent marsh and shallow lakes. The Marsh supports floating mats of vegetation and its margins are relatively grassy and lined with palm and fever trees. However, the main area of its surface is a mosaic of rooted swamp vegetation, floating vegetation, and open water
Land use: The Elephant Marsh is very productive and main source of livelihood for surrounding communities and beyond. The area is characterized by subsistence farming on customary land where they grow maize, rice and sweet potatoes; livestock production especially cattle and goats; and small-scale fishing. It is particularly important during the dry (winter) season when agriculture is largely reliant on the soil moisture. The Elephant Marsh supports around 1,500 small-scale fishers. Commercial agriculture dominates the western side of the Marsh where Illovo, Prescane, Kasinthula Small Holder Farmers, and Agricane sugarcane estates occur.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 24 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 76 | Wetlands (inland) – Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Several pressures and threats are present in the Marsh. The main overall threat to the Elephant Marsh is the growing human population, not only directly surrounding the marsh but within its catchment. This population pressure has resulted in increased sediment input and biodiversity loss. The human encroachment into the Marsh has led to access to previously inaccessible areas resulting into increased human-wildlife conflicts, habitat loss for birds as well as mammal species. The frequency of fires during dry periods in the marsh increase with burgeoning numbers of people cultivating in the Marsh. These fires also have a negative effect on reptilian, amphibian and small mammal populations.
Other threats include poaching and illegal harvesting of fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds; invasive species such as water hyacinth (Eichornnia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), and water fern (Azolla filliculoides); the incidence of human disease and wildlife interactions; climate change; and pollution from household wastes, or sewage.
The large commercial sugar-cane estates on the edge of the marsh also impact the wetland through
habitat modification on its edge, water extraction for irrigation, erosion, and potentially the runoff of
agro-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers) into the wetland, raising the possibility of contamination
and eutrophication from these sources.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Herbicides and pesticides | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Government of malawi. (2017b). Climate Resilient Livelihoods and Sustainable Natural Resources Management in the Elephant Marsh: Livelihoods report. Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Lilongwe. (Issue March). https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/35551875/documents/MW2308_lit170608.%20Livelihoods_report_accepted.pdf
Government of Malawi. (2022). Image Analysis for Hotspot Mapping for 2022 Report (Draft). Ministry of Agriculture, Lilongwe. Unpublished.
Government of Malawi. (2023). The Elephant Marsh Management plan - Zero draft. Unpublished.
Branch, W. R. (2016). Climate Resilient Livelihoods and Sustainable Natural Resources Management in the Elephant Marshes , Malawi. Biodiversity of the Elephant Marsh: Herpetofauna. 44(0). https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3926.6803
Kosamu, I. B. M. (2014). Conditions for sustainability of the Elephant Marsh fishery in Malawi. Sustainability (Switzerland), 6(7), 4010–4027. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6074010
Ramsar Information sheet Malawi. (2017). Ramsar Information Sheet Malawi (Issue 2308). https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/RISrep/MW2308RIS_1707_en.pdf
Preliminary assessment as a potential Globally important bird and biodiversity area (IBA). David Allan, Curator of Birds, Durban Natural Science Museum. Email: davidallan@telkomsa.net
UNEP-WCMC (2024). Protected Area Profile for Elephant Marsh from the World Database on Protected Areas, August 2024. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
Contributors: Dr. Tiwonge Gawa, Ornithologist and Lecturer, Malawi University of Science and Technology.
Mr. Wisely Kawaye, Division Manager (Lower Shire), Department of National Parks and Wildlife.
Mr. Laban Silli, Mr. Daniel Binga, and Mrs. Annie Nyirongo; Department of Fisheries (Nsanje and Chikwawa districts)
Mr. Fred Barasa, IBA - KBA officer, BirdLife International-Africa.