The LWF's Community Conservation (CC) programme

A brief introduction
There are currently some 33 million Kenyans. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 45 million. Pressure on protected areas and the wildlife within them, even those with such enlightened policies as Laikipia, will increase unless we look at ways in which to knit conservation with development.

The LWF has therefore worked with local communities to find ways of benefiting those who live alongside endangered species such as the black rhino. Eco-tourism and community-owned lodges, cultural manyattas, tree seedling nurseries, aloe farms, bee-keeping and wildlife-guide training are just some of the initiatives developed, to ensure that people in Laikipia not only live sustainably, but also profit from their proximity to wildlife.

Aims and objectives
The Community Conservation (CC) programme has contributed to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and to the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from natural resources by:

• bringing together large-scale ranchers, small scale farmers and pastoralists of diverse background, to work with international donors, NGOs, KWS, and the Government of Kenya towards common goals
  demonstrating that wildlife can be the most economically viable and sustainable land-use option in the drylands of the Ewaso ecosystem, and sensitising both ranchers and communities in the region to responsible and sustainable management of natural resources
• assisting 40-50 community conservation groups annually in capacity development, management planning, conflict resolution, and fundraising. LWF members have initiated rangeland restoration projects, reforestation projects, community-based wildlife conservation projects and river water users’ associations. In helping improve the livelihood of its members, the LWF has become an effective catalyst for poverty alleviation through natural resource management in Laikipia District
  being instrumental in raising funds for community wildlife-based enterprise projects; in the last 4 years more than 15 such enterprises have been successfully established, with many more in the planning phase
• nurturing wildlife so effectively that Laikipia has become a source of wildlife for the restoration of depleted areas elsewhere. Over 950 zebra, impala and giraffe were moved to Meru National Park in 2003 alone
• developing a detailed strategy for the alleviation of human elephant conflict, and assisting the KWS in planning and raising funds for fencing and rapid response
• developing a detailed wildlife fencing strategy designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict (and now drawing up a predator management guidelines with the Laikipia Predator Project)
  developing an incident reporting system for KWS, to monitor human wildlife conflict, enable an improved understanding of seasonality and distribution, and assist in the allocation of resources
  fostering large-scale, long term research aimed at biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, working in partnership with the Mpala Research Centre to identify research priorities across the Ewaso ecosystem
• lobbying for and distributing concepts for an updated legal framework for wildlife conservation and management in Kenya.

Supporters of the CC programme
The CC programme in 2005-06 has been funded by a number of donors:

Capital International
Chester Zoo
CHK Charities
Ecko
Ford Foundation
Laikipia Predator Project
LWF member contributions
Manifold Trust
Save the Rhino International

Budget
The total cost of the CC programme for 2005-06 is £58,196. So far, donors have given £44,225, so we still need to raise another £13,971 in order to complete this funding for the programme.