There is a pressing need to create synergy and foster collaboration among various stakeholders involved in landscape restoration and sustainment in Kenya. This call for cooperation was a key message at the Kenya Landscapes Actors Platform (KenLAP) 2024 Conference held in Nairobi. The conference, organized by KenLAP, which is a not-for-profit platform affiliated with the Kenyan Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, emphasized the importance of working together to restore and manage Kenya’s diverse landscapes effectively.
Dr. Michael Okoti, Chief Research Scientist and Director at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (KALRO), highlighted the complexity and interconnectedness of Kenya’s landscapes, which include forests, rangelands, farmlands, water bodies, and mountain ecosystems. These landscapes provide essential services economic, social, cultural, and ecological supporting livelihoods through agriculture, tourism, and other sectors. For instance, Kenya earned Kshs 352.5 billion (USD 2.7 billion) from tourism and Kshs 526 billion (USD 4.1 billion) from agriculture in 2023, with much of these revenues linked to the health of the nation’s landscapes. Ecosystems like the Mau, Cherangany, and Mt. Elgon, with an estimated annual value of Kshs 350 billion (USD 2.6 billion), play a crucial role in providing timber, water, carbon sequestration, and soil conservation, alongside their cultural and spiritual significance.
Dr. Okoti stressed the importance of acknowledging the interdependencies between different ecosystems. For example, activities in agricultural landscapes can affect aquatic ecosystems, as seen in the impact of soil erosion from the Mount Kenya region, which results in sedimentation in the oceans, affecting water quality and the fishing industry. This interconnection necessitates coordinated management to preserve the integrity of all landscapes.
Despite the significant contributions of these landscapes, Kenya faces numerous challenges in maintaining their health. These include the diverse drivers of degradation, such as poverty, climate change, and unsustainable land use practices. The country has lost vast areas of forest cover, with 12,000 hectares disappearing annually at one point. Other obstacles include inadequate policy frameworks, financial constraints, insufficient coordination among stakeholders, and the challenges posed by land rights and tenure issues.
To address these issues, various sectoral policies have been introduced, focusing on soil management, agroforestry, aquatic ecosystems, and carbon trading. However, these efforts often lack coherence and require better coordination across institutions and stakeholders to be truly effective.
Marion Ng’ang’a, Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance for Kenya and Tanzania, emphasized the need for collaboration and integrated finance to transform landscapes sustainably. The Rainforest Alliance works at the intersection of agriculture and forestry, promoting responsible business practices through certification programs and integrated landscape management. They focus on regenerative and climate-smart agriculture as essential strategies for preserving tropical forests while also promoting gender equality and the inclusion of marginalized groups. Ng’ang’a pointed out that no single entity can address the complex challenges of landscape restoration alone, stressing that collaboration among government bodies, the private sector, and donor organizations is key to mobilizing the resources necessary for large-scale impact.
While progress has been made with government policies, Ng’ang’a argued that true transformation will only occur when stakeholders collaborate fully, break down silos, and engage in integrated finance strategies to support farmers and forest communities in transitioning to more sustainable practices. Through partnerships and collective action, Kenya can achieve the sustainable development goals related to environmental conservation and landscape management.
