Kenya is launching a new initiative aimed at tackling the escalating human-wildlife conflicts and the decline in biodiversity. Currently, an estimated 65-70% of the country’s wildlife resides outside protected areas, cohabiting with local communities and livestock. This proximity increases conflicts, threatening socio-economic development, biodiversity, and food security. As tensions rise, communities often retaliate by harming wildlife, further endangering both animal populations and local livelihoods.
Research indicates a staggering 68% decline in Kenya’s megafauna over the past four decades. Key factors driving this decline include rapid human population growth, resource scarcity, poverty, limited livelihood options, and insufficient institutional capacity to effectively manage human-wildlife conflicts and wildlife crime.
In response, the Wildlife Conservation for Development Integrated Program (WCD IP) has emerged as a beacon of hope. This initiative is one of 11 integrated programs under the Global Environment Facility’s eighth replenishment cycle, known as the GEF-8 Global Wildlife Program. Preparations for the rollout of WCD IP began with a recent inception meeting attended by key stakeholders, including Environment PS Festus Ng’eno, Wildlife PS Silvia Museiya, and Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga.
Ng’eno announced that the project has been allocated resources, stating, “As the GEF Operational Focal Point, we have dedicated 1.37 billion Kenyan Shillings (approximately $10.67 million) to this program.” The project is currently in its design phase, led by Conservation International as the implementing agency, with the State Department for Wildlife as the executing agency alongside partners like the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute.
The WCD IP aims to enhance the tourism sector while addressing human-wildlife conflict—critical issues that impact ecosystems and contribute to biodiversity loss. Ng’eno commended Conservation International for its swift initiation of preparatory activities and emphasized the importance of a participatory design process that includes diverse stakeholders.
Priority landscapes identified for intervention include Tsavo and Laikipia, which experience significant human-wildlife conflict. The project will focus on implementing existing management plans, empowering community-led conservancies, and preventing zoonotic diseases.
PS Museiya highlighted the need to align this initiative with the Kenya Kwanza government’s manifesto, emphasizing community-led conservation to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and bolster livelihoods. “By fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife, we aim to address HWC as a major driver of biodiversity loss,” she noted.
The project will adopt an integrated approach to human-wildlife conflict management, which includes improved wildlife information systems, infrastructure development, and rapid response capabilities. Additional interventions will strengthen governance within conservancies, enhance land management practices, and ensure equitable sharing of benefits among communities, particularly women and youth.
In 2023, Kenya applied to join this initiative and was officially included in the program on February 5, 2024. The Tourism Ministry reported that claims related to human-wildlife conflict have reached approximately 16,000, totaling Sh4.5 billion.
New Sh1.37 Billion Initiative Brings Hope for Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts
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