The IFAW Amboseli Project (SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 6, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 15, SDG 16)
Description
Amboseli National Park is home to some of Kenya’s largest elephant populations which depend on the surrounding community land for migration. In 2008, the land stakeholders recognized that the habitat loss threats, degradation, and fragmentation would lead to the loss of livelihoods and tourism revenue and opted to ensure the ecosystem’s sustainability. IFAW therefore partnered with relevant stakeholders to secure critical corridors and dispersal areas for elephants in community areas of the Amboseli landscape. To achieve this, IFAW implemented a multi-year commitment to secure 26,000 acres as wildlife migratory and dispersal land in the Amboseli landscape.
The primary objective of the project is to secure corridors and dispersal areas for elephants in the community areas of the Olgulului Olalarashi Group Ranch (OOGR), which surrounds 90 percent of the park in the Amboseli landscape. To achieve this goal, IFAW secured 26,000 acres of the Kitenden Corridor (one of the last remaining elephant migratory corridors connecting Kenya and Tanzania) and dispersal area for wildlife by signing separate lease agreements with 2,600 indigenous landowners. The strategy for the leased land was to develop the Kitenden Community Wildlife Conservancy, which will continue to offer a three pronged benefit to wildlife and its habitat, the local community (through eco-friendly, compatible tourism, and enterprise projects), and investors through tourism development and investment. In 2017, IFAW worked with the local Maasai community to register the Kitenden Conservancy Trust. Registering the Trust was an important step toward securing this portion of land as a community-owned conservancy that supports sustainable livelihoods while providing safe passage for elephants traveling between Amboseli National Park and West Kilimanjaro.<br />
Human-wildlife conflict is a serious challenge in the Amboseli region. In 2008, IFAW partnered with the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to facilitate human-wildlife conflict mitigation and implement the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan (AEMP) 2008-2018. The AEMP separates land use areas for conservation, livestock grazing, farming, and settlement. IFAW provided financial, technical, and administrative support in the various stages needed to acquire the necessary approvals for the gazettement of the AEMP. In collaboration with KWS, IFAW also works with community rangers to secure the integrity of corridor habitat by promoting human-wildlife conflict mitigation and awareness within the OOGR community. A primary driver conflict in the OOGR is the access to clean water for humans, livestock, and wildlife; therefore, in 2012, IFAW helped the county government secure funding to rehabilitate the Northern Water Pipeline.<br />
Moreover, IFAW partnered with the KWS, OOGR, and the School for Field Studies (SFS) to deploy tracking collars on 18 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem. The data received via the GPS-enabled satellite collars helps in mapping wildlife corridors, settlement areas, and potential wildlife threats, which all contribute to spatial planning and zoning of the Amboseli landscape. The collar information is also used by the Kenyan government to guide spatial planning at national and local levels.<br />
IFAW has also provided financial resources for the construction of an administration office block within the KWS Amboseli National Park Headquarters, which houses Procurement and Finance functions. In addition, IFAW provided resources for the construction of a meeting hall at the KWS Amboseli KWS Headquarters. The 100-seathall is used by KWS, community members, and other institutions to hold meetings and has increased KWS relationship with its neighbors. <br />
IFAW is increasing wildlife security in the Amboseli landscape by equipping community wildlife rangers with expertise and skills through training in human wildlife conflict mitigation and providing operation resources such as rations, salaries, GPS-equipment, uniforms and a patrol vehicle for use by the rangers.
In 2008 , the main stakeholders Amboseli region recognized that the threat of habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation would lead to the loss of livelihoods and revenue from tourism. They opted to take steps to safeguard the land and to ensure sustainability of the ecosystem by establishing the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan 2008 – 2018. IFAW identified with this initiative and partnered with one of the group ranches, the Olgulului Olalarashi Group Ranch (OOGR, which surrounds 90 percent of the Park), the KWS, and other secondary stakeholders to secure critical elephant corridors and dispersal areas for elephants in the community areas of the OOGR in the Amboseli landscape. To attain this goal, IFAW implemented a multi-year commitment to securing the Amboseli landscape. The incorporation of participatory community engagement in a structured and profound way has led to unique interventions tailored for this specific community and interventions that are sustainable and popular among the community. Both the local leadership chiefs and the Maasai community have been heavily involved since the beginning of the project. After substantial investment in capacity, the project largely is run by community members who now have the skills to maintain and expand the infrastructure and initiatives put in place by the Amboseli Econsystem Management Plan 2008-2018. Today, IFAW is part of the committee spearheading the extension of the plan to ensure that the progress made in the last ten years is sustained.
In addition, by securing the Kitenden Corridor, IFAW is helping establish a community conservancy that helps protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of the Amboseli ecosystem while reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss. Through the mapping of wildlife corridors, settlement areas, and potential wildlife threats, the project has secured 26,000 acres of wildlife migratory routes and corridors as well as dispersal areas for the benefit wildlife.
Another intervention – to provide clean water access for humans, livestock, and wildlife – was developed to further prevent wildlife-related injuries and deaths. In September 2012 IFAW conducted research and helped the county secure funding to rehabilitate the Northern Water Pipeline, which supplies water to communities living in the north of Amboseli. When the project is completed in 2019, it is expected to reliably provide water to 300 homesteads, 3,000 people, and more than 6,000 herds of livestock. By rehabilitating the pipeline, the project ensures availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for the Maasai community, and thus, reducing human-elephant conflict due to water access.
The project has also helped develop economic growth and work opportunities in the community. By making Amboseli safer and protecting biodiversity, the project preserves and promotes the conditions that drive tourism to Amboseli. The project also employs local community rangers as well as scouts to provide security services for the wildlife.
In 2015, IFAW also officially initiated an education scholarship to offer financial support to 60 students to pursue studies in high school, tertiary colleges and universities, and 50 community wildlife scouts. By providing education scholarships, IFAW ensures inclusive and equitable education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities and alternative livelihoods for the local community. In addition, IFAW is currently planning to facilitate the construction of a community service center which should have all the social amenities needed for human settlement including schools, local administration offices, a health center and more. . IFAW is also working with local women to develop markets for income-generating activities such as beadwork and livestock management. By creating a boarding secondary school for girls and facilitating income generation among women, the project promotes gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls in Amboseli, thus, leaving no-one behind.
IFAW’s commitment to reducing human-wildlife conflict has led to increases in elephant population numbers. In the Tsavo Conservation Area, for example, elephant numbers increased by 14.7 percent from 2014 to the latest census in 2017.
Additionally, incorporating community input in a structured and profound way has led to unique interventions tailored for this specific community and interventions that are sustainable and popular among the community. Both the local leadership and the community have been heavily involved since the beginning of the project.
A challenge that the project ran into, in particular, was the lack of infrastructure, equipment, and training for some of the interventions and alternative livelihoods promoted in the project. In order to bypass this issue, the project made it a priority to build capacity within the village to build (i.e. the community service center), repair (i.e. the Northern Water Pipeline), or otherwise manage any of the interventions. To support the administration of the Amboseli National Park and the OOGR conservation initiatives, IFAW helped build resilient infrastructure, which helped promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization while fostering innovation within the local community.
Other challenges and constraints include the inaccessibility to the community due to limited road network to reach local community member and provide essential services. Additionally, low ownership of individual bank accounts make it inevitable for some community members to depend on liquid cash and then encourages spending as opposed to saving. Also, the effects of climate change which have led to habitat destruction due to scarcity of pasture. Also, language barriers and cultural practices that delay communication due to the fact that information takes a long time to reach every member of the community since it has to be translated. Additionally, the lack of expertise and personnel in the area which causes a limited and/or delayed service delivery to the targeted local community. Finally, the heavy rainfall which has disrupted the rehabilitation of the Northern Water Pipeline in several occasions.
Long term cost efficiency and economic sustainability have been primary goals of the project from initial planning. After substantial investment in capacity, the project largely is run by community members who now have the skills to maintain and expand the infrastructure and initiatives. Because of the local capacity, benefits are clearly outweighed by costs. In example, IFAW has facilitated the professional training of 50 OOGR community game rangers at the Kenya Wildlife Service Law Enforcement Academy each year since 2013. By partnering up with the OOGR and the KWS, the project ensures community engagement and promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for the sustainable development of the local community and even provides a model to follow for other communities. Additionally, IFAW trains and equips rangers who improve the safety of the community by reducing poaching.
As of today, since the initial ten-year term of the Amboseli Ecosystem Management expired in 2018, IFAW is part of the committee spearheading the extension of the plan to ensure that the progress made in the last ten years is sustained. Due to Amboseli’s unique position on an international border, the involvement of community members, and vast community land, the project is designed specifically for the area. The project has, however, since evolved to encompass Amboseli Tsavo Kilimanjaro landscapes which cover a larger geographical area to include the landscapes/ecosystems of Tsavo and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Through the implementation of conservation initiatives in the in Kenya, the Maasai community had the opportunity to establish alternative security practices and better access to clean water, which has contributed to more sustainable livelihoods and resources. Moreover, in order to further protect the elephants of Amboseli National Park, the project has helped enable decent work for the local communities by creating jobs to guard elephants against poachers. By improving the water security, employment opportunities, and wellbeing, the project has reduced elephant poaching and reduced environmental degradation of the park and surrounding ecosystems.<br />
In addition, by improving the community’s access to water through the rehabilitation of the Northern Water Pipeline, IFAW helped ensure availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for thousands in the Maasai community. <br />
IFAW was able to simultaneously reduce human-wildlife conflict and park degradation while improving water security and at the Amboseli National Park and the Maasai community. This project proves that sustainable conservation efforts often rely on sustainable human development practices and vice versa. Wildlife and environmental conservation initiatives were a valuable tool to improve the long-term success and sustainability of the Maasai community and helped improve the lives of the community in a holistic manner.
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Mark Hofberg, Campaigns Officer