Kenya

"Resource Utilization"

Experience from all over the world shows that the trend in environmental management today emphasizes the need to promote measures which advocate the use of natural resources in a sustainable way. This area focuses on formulation and harmonization of laws and regulations in seven common thematic areas. Six projects make up this programme: Kendelevu/Capacity 21; Nature Kenya; Institutional Strengthening (Ozone); Integrated Information Management; Nile Basin Initiative and Environmental Law.

Kendelevu-Capacity 21

Since 1998 Kendelevu project has been an innovative approach to development in Kenya. Its aim is to build capacity at the community, district and national levels, for achieving sustainable development. The project is designed to change the development planning process through the application of three principles: participation, integration and information. The projects activities include the development of skills, systems, mechanism, methodologies, information systems and ownership of sustainable development approaches.

Kendelvu also seeks to build a community of stakeholders that are informed, involved and collaborating with each other. The project emphasizes on participatory approaches to planning and seeks to build strong linkages between all parties involved in sustainable development in the country.

Kendelvu works directly with churches, NGO's, community leaders and district officers to provide training to selected individuals, particularly at the district level.

The training includes:

1. Identifying problems and resources

2. Analyzing past efforts and impacts

3. Devicing strategies that apply to their particular situation. The newly trained individuals identify five communities which are in need of help, to develop an action plan.

Kendelevu is presently operating in 6 districts: Turkana, Taita, Taveta, Suba and Murang'a and Mwingi. In Mwingi, the community covers 18 villages and 225 households. Activities include food security, water development, education and community health. In Turkana, the irrigation process has registered 1228 farmers each designated a quarter of an acre. The total area of irrigation is 307 acres. Surrounding communities have expressed interest in joining the project. In Taita Taveta, a once densely forest area has been reduced to a mere 160 ha of forest, leading to the degradation of the surrounding environment. Measures have been taken by the community leaders to protect existing resources with a particular focus of water catchment areas.

The total funding requirement of the project is US$1,235,000 from which UNDP has given US$203,000.

Nature Kenya

Nature Kenya as part of Capacity 21 and has a conservation theme that focuses on important bird areas. This programme is active across the country and works with community groups near areas of key biodiversity importance. As pertains bird's life, these areas must have species that are either critical, endangered or vulnerable.

With support from the UNDP, Nature Kenya was granted US$50,000 from the Small Grants Programme to equip and support the Kakamega Forest Resource and Education Centre that was run by a Community Group i.e. site support groups.

Nature Kenya believes that site support groups are the engines for the conservation plan such as the Kakamega Environment Education Programme. Such groups must have interest(s) in environment with the role of Nature Kenya being to enrich these interests. Kakamega Environment Education Programme has thus been assisted to start a butterfly unit; a shop, a snake park and a tree nursery.

Institutional strengthening (Ozone)

Kenya needs assistance in order to phase out methyl bromide, an ozone depleting substance that is being phased out internationally under the Montreal protocol. US $1,595,811 will be available for Kenya to achieve the phase out of 97 ODP tones of methyl bromide for soil fumigation.
The focus of the project in Kenya is institutional strengthening and capacity building. UNDP - CO is implementing the Institutional Strengthening Project [KEN/00/G61] which provides funds to support the Government Ozone Secretariat in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (NES). The funds mainly cater for project personnel and sundries/communication costs for running the office. The secretariat coordinates all Ozone initiatives in Kenya and conducts group trainings and ozone layer education/awareness. A major component of the latter is the annual International Ozone Day. The project is guided by a technical National Committee on Ozone Depletion (NACOD).

The implementing agencies are UNIDO and UNEP who are responsible for technical/scientific activities on the ground. They execute the activities in collaboration with GTZ, industrial and agricultural firms and NGOs. Funds are disbursed directly from the multilateral fund.