Overview

Arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) constitute 80 percent of Kenya’s land area. The ASALs are home to less-developed populations who live on less than USD 1 a day, are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, and are exposed to food insecurity. These lands are historically and politically marginalized; they are also economically isolated, which translates into low levels of public, private, and commercial investment and poor infrastructure. Most inhabitants of ASALs depend on livestock for their survival and livelihoods, with annual revenue from the livestock industry estimated at KSH 10 billion (USD 100 million). Resource-related conflicts occur regularly around access to land, scarce resources like water and livestock feed, and between local communities and wildlife. Despite hosting 80 percent of Kenya’s biodiversity, the diverse ASAL landscapes and habitats are rapidly being degraded. Degradation of the natural resources resulting from population increase, deforestation (mainly for bioenergy needs), bush encroachment to grazing lands, and climate variability resulting in deaths of humans, livestock, and wildlife. Unreliable rainfall and prolonged and severe droughts have resulted in the scarcity of water and pasture and loss of rangeland productivity and associated food supply.

The project seeks to improve the livelihoods of communities and their landscapes by enhancing the productivity of ecosystem services provided by rangelands for food, feed, human and wildlife security in the Amaya Triangle counties of Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo, and Baringo.

Overall objective

To support Kenya eradicate poverty through enhancing the productivity of ecosystem services provided by rangelands for food, feed, human-and-wildlife security in the Amaya Triangle counties.

Beneficiaries

The project works with the communities of Baringo, Isiolo, Laikipia, and Samburu, representing 25 existing community conservancies with a population of 183,158 people, including 89,015 women and 137,552 youth up to 35 years old. It is expected through the various activities that the project will, directly and indirectly, support these communities to become managers of their own environmental and natural resources, who will benefit from improved land management, safety and security, and economic opportunities.

Key activities

Specifically, ICRAF is concerned with re-designing landscapes and promoting feed-and-food security through a trees-and-natural-resources-livelihoods’ system. The following activities will be carried out.

• Characterisation and inventory of existing types of perennials, their uses as well as existing tree nurseries
• Establish community tree nurseries to enable the production of multipurpose tree seedlings for planting by individuals, farmers, and local communities
• Promote tree-based investments (such as aloes, honey, animal hides, dairy, fruit trees like mangoes) and enterprises in Agroforestry for pasture/feed and food security
• Use findings from rangelands health mapping to identify suitable interventions and engage beneficiaries in implementing agroforestry for climate mitigation and adaptation
• Design and installation of rain- and floodwater harvesting systems for growing trees and improving pasture on croplands and rangelands
• Mobilisation of local stakeholders to rehabilitate degraded dryland forests

Progress and achievements

• Secondary information, including maps showing the terrain, land use, soils, tree cover, and climate compiled. The base maps will be used to produce thematic maps showing rainwater-harvesting potential, erosion hotspots, and context-based rainwater-harvesting options. The information generated will guide in the design and installation of rain and floodwater harvesting systems for growing trees and improving pasture on rangelands and croplands
• Baseline study to establish land-use systems, patterns, and change across the four counties to inform the implementation of appropriate interventions and strategic land-use planning ongoing.