Laikipia Wildlife Forum, Kenya

Location: Laikipia District, just north of Mt Kenya and straddling the Equator Project leader: Anthony King Project partner: Laikipia Wildlife Forum Rhino species: Black rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) Rhino numbers: Approximately 260 black and 192 white Size of protected area: 9,500 km2, part of the 25,000 km2 Ewaso ecosystem Activities: Community conservation programme, Environmental Education programme, wildlife management, security and tourism development Support: We focus on the LWF’s Community Conservation and Environmental Education programmes in local communities, which show that conservation can improve livelihoods and be economically viable, as well as educating schoolchildren about the importance of conservation Funding partners: Chester Zoo, 3 Peaks 3 Weeks, Body Shop Foundation

 

The Laikipia District, the project target area, is located northwest of Mount Kenya, straddling the equator at the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley Province. None of this land has formal National Park or Reserve status; it is either under community or individual title instead. Regardless, the Laikipia District represents one of Kenya’s most important wildlife areas: wildlife population densities are on the rise in contrast to the declining trend throughout the country, and the area now ranks second only to the internationally renowned Maasai Mara ecosystem. Laikipia is home to half of Kenya’s critically endangered black rhino (making it of special interest to Save the Rhino), as well as other rare species such as Jackson’s hartebeest and Grevy’s zebra. It is also home to ethically diverse communities, including the Mukogodo, Maasai, Pokot, Kikuyu and Meru, making it an interesting and diverse tourist destination.

 

Laikipia’s population is 429,300 and is rising at an annual level of 2.6% (Kenyan Bureau of Statistics 2007), creating conflicts in land and resource-use options.  These communities have suffered from poverty and some are currently receiving food relief after a severe drought hit in 2005-6 followed by extreme rains in 2007. They are some of the poorest people in Kenya: Laikipia East’s constituency ranks 58th in poverty nationwide, with 44% of the population living below the poverty line (Economic Survey for Kenya, 2005).

Laikipia’s wildlife population is also rising, compared to the declining trend elsewhere in the country. Increased human and wildstock populations, coupled with inappropriate agricultural and settlement practices (intensified cultivation, expansion of cultivated land, overgrazing, harvesting of fuel wood, charcoal burning, deforestation, inappropriate irrigation techniques as well as the clearing of land for agricultural use) contribute towards environmental degradation and a breakdown of ecosystem services. This in turn leads to major problems such as deforestation, acute water shortages, loss of biological diversity and soil erosion; as well as deterioration of life support systems, including air, water and land. On the positive side, wildlife-based tourism now contributes significantly to Kenya’s GNP, bringing scope for development and economic growth. This presents a great challenge for the future, with the need to harmonise the conflicting issues and ensure fair resource allocation and sustainable development.

The Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) was created in 1992 to address these issues by initiating positive impact. Its motto “Conservation in action” reflects the spirit of this pioneering community conservation association. Staffed by a team of 11, it is a grassroots, growing, open-membership organization, bringing together stakeholders in the area, including small-scale farmers, pastoralists, local community initiatives, private ranchers and tourism ventures. These members are united by one common mission: to conserve the integrity of the Laikipia ecosystem, by creatively managing natural resources to improve the livelihood of its people. To achieve this aim, the Laikipia Wildlife Forum is working with local communities to find innovative and modern ways of benefiting the people living alongside areas of rich biodiversity and natural resource.

 

The LWF seeks to meet its mission through the primary objectives of the maintenance of ecosystem integrity and processes; the establishment and development of community conservation projects in wildlife dispersal landscapes; and the development of conservation enterprises. These objectives are being realised through five core operational programmes:

• Community Conservation
• Environmental Education
• Tourism Development
• Wildlife Management
• Security