Papyrus wetlands in East Africa play a vital role in supporting livelihoods of people living around them.
Although, subject to natural fluctuations and threats by anthropogenic activities, little is known about
historical changes in wetland functions and services, or their present status. We focused on Nyando
wetland on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya. Three sites in the wetland were identified for
assessment of history and current status. Changes during the past fifty years were assessed through
participatory exercises with local communities and a review of published work. To establish the current
status, we used field surveys and transect walks. Results showed that the wetland is important for
hydrological and also ecological functions, which depend on the connectivity of the wetland with river
and lake. The major direct drivers of change were hydrological regimes and livelihood activities. The
main indirect driver of change was population growth, which leads to more pressure on wetland
resources. Provisioning services are important in Nyando wetland but are generated at the expense of
regulating services. Hydrology and livelihoods are strongly interlinked as flooding limits access to the
wetland. Understanding the historical changes in wetland functions and services is important for rural
communities, policy makers and for wetland managers in guiding, planning and wetland management.