NOTES FROM THE FIELD - VOICES OF COMMUNITIES AT THE FRONTLINE OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Greetings from Nairobi!
This month we celebrate the role and voices of communities in shaping Kenya’s and Africa’s ecological and economic transformation. At the just concluded Africa Wildlife Economy Summit, the CEO of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association delivered a
new declaration
on behalf of over 40 communities, representing 12 African countries. The declaration, addressed to heads of states and governments of Africa, the private sector and international organizations, stressed the need to recognize community rights in ownership, management and use of natural resources; to strengthen community governance and institutions; to ensure that community voices are heard in shaping policy and decision making – from the local to the global level; and to promote investment partnerships in a community-owned wildlife economy.
What stood out for me was the declaration on the need to
“change the development model from doing things for communities to financing well-governed communities to do things for themselves.”
This month’s newsletter highlights our development model that puts communities at the forefront of charting their own development, while conserving the ecological assets on their lands. Read about how Kenya's community institutions -- Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, the Northern Rangelands Trust, the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancy Association and others -- are engaging in ecological transformation and in legislative and policy reforms that are helping communities to thrive through conservation.
We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter.
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Beatrice Wamalwa
Acting Environment Office Chief
USAID Kenya and East Africa
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THE ASSOCIATIONS HELPING COMMUNITY CONSERVANCIES TO THRIVE
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Today, conservancies in Kenya cover 11% of Kenya's land mass, directly impact the lives of more than 700,000 households and secures the 65% of the country’s wildlife that is found on community and private lands outside national parks and reserves. (See map on right) Local communities are transforming conservation and making it work for people and wildlife.
The
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
helps Kenyan conservancies to unite and thrive and it represents community interests at national level. With USAID support, it advocates for reforms of laws, regulations and policies that strengthen recognition and incentives for community conservancies in Kenya and which encourage sustainable and beneficial conservation. It helps local land owners and communities to access legal and policy information and it supports forums where community conservancies can help one another through the exchange of best practices. Its newest project is the development of a set of guidelines to help communities negotiate investment contracts with the private sector.
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
is the national umbrella body that unites regional conservancy associations, such as the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association, representing the Mara area; the Northern Rangelands Trust, representing conservancies in the north and coastal Kenya; and Baringo Wildlife Conservancy Association, representing conservancies in Baringo. It represents the interests of all conservancies in Kenya, of which community conservancies are the majority. Find out more about
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
by visiting
their website
.
USAID is the largest supporter of community conservancies in Kenya. We believe that when communities have the legal rights, the local institutions, and the economic incentives to manage their resources, they will do so, for everyone's gain -- people and wildlife.
Read
more about USAID's support to community conservancy policy and implementation and
meet
some of the leadership of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association by clicking to the right.
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The above map indicates Kenya's national parks and reserves in bright green and conservancies in brown.
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A
community conservancy
is a
community
-based organization created to support the management of
community
-owned land for the benefit of livelihoods. They are legally registered entities, governed by a representative board of directors and run by a locally-staffed management team.
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MAASAI MARA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCIES ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES STATE OF MARA CONSERVANCIES REPORT
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On July 5, the
Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association
held its Annual General Meeting and launched its
State of Mara Conservancies Report. USAID Acting Mission Director Heather Schildge spoke at the event and helped launch the report.
"I am most impressed to hear that MMWCA has doubled the amount of land under conservation in the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem,
" said Acting Mission Director Schildge.
She also highlighted several of the Association's accomplishments since its establishment in 2013, including:
- Construction of the Mara Base headquarters
- Over 61 km of roads maintained to improve accessibility within the conservancies.
- Improved leadership and governance structures of MMWCA and its 15 member conservancies.
- Critical wildlife corridors secured.
- Community members are now earning more, which is benefiting an estimated 100,000 people.
USAID is the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association largest funder. Find out more about the Association and read its State of Mara Conservancies Report
here
.
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RURAL COMMUNITIES BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE THROUGH CONSERVATION
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What is a community conservancy? The above NRT video explains.
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In northern Kenya, local communities are transforming the approach to conservation in Kenya. The impact has been significant; elephant poaching for ivory is down, critically endangered species such as the hirola antelope are making a comeback, and over 71,000 people are benefitting from livelihoods projects linked to conservation.
With USAID support, the community conservation movement has grown to include 39 community conservancies across northern and coastal Kenya. The model supports communities to govern their wild spaces, identify and lead development projects, build sustainable economies linked to conservation, and spearhead peace efforts to mend years of conflict. This is a story about rural communities building a resilient future - for themselves, and for the wildlife they live alongside. Watch to find out more.
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First Lady meets "exceptional women" of BeadWORKS
"Today, I have seen exceptional women in this area who now have sustainable income," said the First Lady. "As a mother, I know the important role that women play in uplifting the lives of their families. I thank the NRT for going a step further...
Read more
www.nrt-kenya.org
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JOURNEY TO A MODEL CONSERVANCY - LUMO COMMUNITY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
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LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary is a 48,000 acre community conservancy in southeast Kenya. It serves as a vital wildlife corridor between two of Kenya’s largest and oldest national parks, Tsavo West and Tsavo East. Despite its importance, after nearly 20 years in operation, LUMO was on the verge of collapsing.
In 2017, USAID and the African Wildlife Foundation started a program to help the LUMO Conservancy strengthen its ability to protect wildlife and provide community benefits.
LUMO has made great strides over the past two years. It’s improved its governance and management structure, developed holistic grazing plans and addressed poaching by hiring and training new wildlife scouts, procuring a patrol car, and establishing a data collection protocol with trained data managers. Lumo also added revenue through increased tourism, hay making, and a livestock improvement program. That revenue funds social and educational programs in the local communities.
The LUMO Conservancy still faces challenges, like how can it empower more youth and women to participate in the management of the Conservancy. But with so many successes to date, and with the continued support of
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association
, we are positive that LUMO has a bright future.
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LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary | Wildlife Conservancy ...
Lumo is part of the historical elephant migration corridor linking Tsavo Ecosystem to the Shimba Hills in the neighboring Kwale County.
Read more
www.lumoconservancy.com
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EVALUATING OUTCOMES OF COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION ON KENYAN GROUP RANCHES WITH REMOTE SENSING
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This paper uses sub-metre-resolution satellite imagery to measure land-use change on four Kenyan group ranches that had created community-based conservancies (CBCs). Each ranch underwent a common participatory planning process that established a land-use plan involving three management zones: conservation, livestock grazing and settlement/cultivation. Using a satellite image time series, researchers recorded threat-based development – anthropogenic modification of natural areas and the density of structures – for each ranch. Researchers found that CBCs with tourism lodges were more effective at controlling development than the CBCs without a lodge, particularly in the conservation zones and, to a lesser degree, in the grazing zones. They conclude that use of very-high-resolution satellite imagery offers conservationists a cost-effective, fast and replicable approach to measuring CBC land-use change and that CBC projects can lead to positive conservation results.
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Evaluating outcomes of community-based conservation on...
Evaluating outcomes of community-based conservation on Kenyan group ranches with remote sensing - Volume 45 Issue 2 - DAVID WILLIAMS, JAMES H. THORNE, DAUDI SUMBA, PHILIP MURUTHI, NATASHA GREGORY-MICHELMAN
Read more
www.cambridge.org
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PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF WILDLIFE CONSERVANCIES IN KENYA
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This
paper
reviews the development and experiences of community conservancies, discusses how they have been implemented in Kenya, and looks at the management paradigm, efficacy and challenges to help better understand the community conservancy approach. The development trajectory and lessons these conservancies have to offer can contribute to the sustainable utilization of natural resources and the enhancement of community wellbeing in Kenya and other countries alike.
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The Development of Wildlife Community Conservancies
The significance of biodiversity conservation has transformed from a concern for conservation of endangered species and landscapes into an increasingly diverse yet comprehensive set of conservation, social and economic development goals....
Read more
bioone.org
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS AND OPINION ROUNDUP
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Heads of State, business leaders, technical experts and community representatives will gather in Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls from 23-25 June for the Africa Wildlife Economy Summit, which aims to radically change the way the continent's nature-based economy is managed. Source: UNEnvironment.
Read more.
As building blocks for protecting critical wildlife habitats, national parks, reserves, and other protected areas are ecological havens and recognized for their contributions to poverty alleviation, water security, and carbon sequestration. They also provide opportunities for economic development and disaster risk reduction as well as a means of delivering nature-based solutions to climate change. And while recent reports from Africa highlight the strides that African governments have made in designating protected areas, there remain challenges. Source: African Wildlife Foundation.
Read more
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Wildlife conservation that uses community partnerships is working for people and threatened species across Africa, write Fred Nelson and Rosie Cooney of IUCN's Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group. Source: IUCN.
Read more
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USAID Kenya and East Africa Environment | www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/environment
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