The second objective of EcoFamily is to protect and conserve terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems’ health and services.
The Ramsar Convention has adopted the concept of ecosystem services as outlined in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2003) that ‘ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems, which include provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services. Ecosystem services from wetlands include products such as food, fuel and fiber. Regulating services such as climate regulation and disease control and non-material benefits such as spiritual or aesthetic benefits. Changes in these services affect human well-being in many ways whereby increased understanding of the functioning of wetland systems has led to the realization that good wetland management maintains wetland ecosystem health while sustaining human health. Destructing this balance adversely affects people in all social, economic and geographic settings. Although this is a complex correlation immediate multi-sectoral action is essential in order to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits to human health and well-being of good wetland management. Therefore in order to have “healthy wetlands and healthy people” the following should be done by EcoFamily Tanzania:
- Strengthen collaboration and seek new partnerships with the sectors working on wetlands conservation, health and water among various stakeholders including governments, non-government organisations and the private sector;
- Make the interrelationship between wetlands and health a mainstream part of international and national policies, plans and strategies. For example, defining specific wetland targets and indicators that link sustainable wetland management to the Millennium Development Goals;
- Encourage on-going and new research investigations on the links between wetlands and health;
- Build capacity for more integrated approaches to wetland and water management and health. For example, create opportunities for learning outside formal structures, with an emphasis on district and local levels; building on and applying local and traditional knowledge of conservation;
- Ensure efficient and effective control of illegal practices over wetland ecosystem mainly illegal fishing and water pollution.