June 2019
NOTES FROM THE FIELD - CAN WE SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT?

Greetings from Nairobi! 

In the past couple of newsletters, we have reported on the devastating state of our biodiversity as reflected in the UN’s Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. We have also reported on the actions USAID and its partners are taking to curb the extinction of our precious species -- from supporting the repopulation of East Africa's rarest antelope to curbing the poaching of the great African elephant.

This month, we continue to shine a light on the positive steps East Africans are taking to curb environmental degradation and improve the lives of people and wildlife alike. I welcome you to read about the restoration of mangroves on the Kenyan coast, the progress of plastic bans in East Africa, a new USAID award to improve East African environmental reporting and more.

And as always , please share this newsletter with partners in your network. We welcome your feedback.
Beatrice Wamalwa
Acting Environment Office Chief
USAID Kenya and East Africa
PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS
COMMUNITIES LEAD ON MANGROVE RESTORATION
On the coast of Kenya, community conservancies are planting mangroves. Mangroves stabilize coastlines by preventing erosion and they harbor a variety of fish and marine life. In just four days, Pate Community Conservancy planted 9,000 mangrove seedlings. They have also established a mangrove nursery to support future projects around Pate Island, which is currently suffering from degradation due to past mangrove clear-cutting.
 
The Kenya Forest Service ,  Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute , and  K enya Wil dlife Service  are spearheading the initiative with support from Northern Rangelands Trust and  The Nature Conservancy , both of whom receive funding from USAID. The initiative has trained a team of 50 people to act as local mangrove restoration experts. Those local leaders will oversee mangrove planting throughout Lamu and Tana River counties.
Photo credit: Northern Rangelands Trust
50 coastal community members are now mangrove planting experts who are leading a restoration initiative for a healthier Kenyan coastline.
DRIVING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS THROUGH QUALITY JOURNALISM
It is difficult to act on environmental issues if you do not know what they are. USAID, through the U.S. Department of the Interior, just issued an award to  Internews  to improve environmental awareness and support high-quality environmental journalism in East Africa. Internews builds the capacity of journalists to produce high-quality news that helps readers make informed decisions on issues relevant to their lives. For this award, the focus will be on wildlife and conservation.

The new USAID activity, Increasing East African Media Coverage of Co nservation and Wildlife Issues , will build the capacity of journalists through workshops, trainings, fellowship programs , and story production and distribution support. Select promising journalists will receive story production support that allow them to spend time researching and investigating important conservation pieces. Internews senior staff will provide them with guidance throughout their assignments and connect them to a network of passionate journalists and conservationists that can broaden their stories and their opportunities for distribution.

East Africans will gain from improved news quality and from greater awareness of issues that directly impact their lives. 

You can find out more about individual USAID Kenya and East Africa environment activities by visiting the USAID Kenya Environment page and the USAID East Africa Environment page .
Photo credit: USAID Kenya/Eric Onyiego
The story of the Kenya Wildlife Services-sanctioned burning of 100 tons of elephant and rhino ivory was a big news story, but there were thousands of other conservation news items that never reached the East African audience. With USAID support, Internews is helping to tell more stories of wildlife trafficking and conservation, and to understand the impact of those threats on East African citizens.
TECHNICAL RESOURCES
MAASAI MARA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCIES ASSOCIATION RELEASE 2018 IMPACT REPORT
Since its formation in 2013, the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA) has supported the doubling of land under conservation in the Greater Maasai Mara region. Conservation landowners earn more than $4 million annually, benefiting an estimated 100,000 people. This is an almost 500% increase. Two hundred and eighty rangers are employed in the conservancies and an additional 1,600 residents are employed in tourism camps, proving additional sources of income to the community. Two critical wildlife corridors have been opened for the free movement of wildlife, including for elephants and the Serengeti-Mara wildebeest migration.

Despite being a young organization, MMWCA has secured subst antial funding from over 10 international d evelopment agencies, leading conservation organizations, and philanthropists. USAID has been MMWCA’s largest supporter since 2015. Strong support  has enabled MMWCA to ramp up activities while building internal capacity. Their results continue to grow. Read their 2018 Impact Repor t by clicking to the right.
REDUCING PLASTIC #WorldOceansDay
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta recently committed to banning single-use plastic items at Kenya's national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas. Kenya banned the use of plastic bags two years ago. See Daily Nation article .

Rwanda jump-started the plastic bag ban initiative in 2008 . South Sudan and Burundi banned the use of bags in 2018. Tanzania is the latest East African country to follow suit. As of June 1, i ndividuals caught using plastic bags can be hit with an on-the-spot $13 fine and the manufacturing of plastic bags can lead to $400,000 and prison sentences of up to two years. (Source: East African Monitor )

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni is making moves to enforce a law on plastic bags that was enacted in 2010. (Source: the Star )

If more countries follow East Africa's lead, what should they ban? Ted Ideas asked 15 ocean experts this very question. Click on the article to the right to read their answers.
What plastic item would you love to ban? 15 ocean...

Yes, plastic straws are bad, but they’re just a teeny drop in the giant ocean of plastic we are swimming in. Here are other everyday plastic objects that we could put on the discontinued list.

Read more
ideas.ted.com
OPPORTUNITIES

Northern Rangelands Trust is looking for dynamic individuals to fill the positions of: 1. Chief Executive Officer - NRT Trading 2. Chief Operations Officer - NRT. To find out more and how to apply, click here :
ENVIRONMENT NEWS ROUNDUP

President Uhuru Kenyatta has banned the usage of single-use plastic products in all protected areas as Kenya seeks to curb plastics hazard, just two years after the country banned the use of polythene carrier bags. Visitors to national parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas will not be allowed to carry disposable plates, cups, straws, spoons, forks and water bottles, which are considered major environmental pollutants. Source: The Nation. Read more .


International police have asked for help in tracking down the world’s most wanted environmental criminals. Interpol  made a public appeal on Wednesday , to coincide with World Environment Day, to boost its efforts to find seven people responsible for wide-ranging environmental crimes.Their offenses include dumping hazardous waste, illegal logging and ivory smuggling.
Source: The Guardian. Read more


Dead sea birds and  whales  wash ashore with plastic in their bellies. Discarded fishing gear, plastic bags and other items accumulate in  large patches throughout the ocean . Not to mention the  microplastic  polluting the marine environment that we can't see. The amount of plastic that's been dumped into the ocean  has been increasing , and the problem will probably only get worse. Source: CNN. Read more


 A white giraffe, which is said to be the only one of its kind in the world, has become the recipient of heartfelt congratulatory messages from the online community after becoming pregnant. Source: Nairobi News . Read more
USAID Kenya and East Africa Environment | www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/environment