As various economies plummet globally, the plight of the poor becomes worse, leading to a domino effect. Reduction of poverty requires to be tackled at international, national and the community levels. Consequently, the rich cannot afford to disregard the situation of the poor. Reducing the number of individuals living in poverty has been a fundamental goal for the international development community. Access of crucial information therefore becomes fundamental in effectively alleviating poverty, hence making the world a better place for all. African Conservation Centre (ACC) focuses its efforts towards this endeavour.

In 2008 ACC conducted a livelihood survey among pastoral communities in Maasai Mara to establish baseline livelihood status and to assess how people live and sustain themselves. Realization of such a goal takes a concerted effort and inclusion of various players. Social, cultural and financial factors are required to be assessed and understood before embarking on efforts to reduce poverty within any community. Active participation especially of the target communities is crucial for deeper understanding. The survey will also help the policy makers and donors understand the problem of the Maasai Mara communities as articulated by the recipient, and assist in identifying potential intervention strategies to alleviate poverty.

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Biodiversity loss has become a global phenomenon. There has been a 40% loss of wildlife in Kenya parks since 1977 and a 50% loss of biodiversity countrywide. Kenyan parks and reserves occupy 8% of our land mass but less than 30% of our biodiversity is found in these protected areas. The government of Kenya is committed to conserving its valuable natural resources and has enacted policies, legislation and implemented programmes for environmental management to conserve and sustainably use biological resources across all sectors of the national economy. Download full report

Assessing the Vulnerability of Biodiversity to Climate Change - Workshop
A SERVIR-Africa / RCMRD project implemented by
African Conservation Centre

Southern Sun Mayfair Hotel (Westlands), Nairobi, December 6th, 2011.

At the December 6th Biodiversity and Climate Change Workshop, organized by the African Conservation Centre (ACC) in collaboration with National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and its international partner organizations, Yale University, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, and the University of York, representatives from leading biological science institutions gathered to discuss how to tackle the challenges that climate change presents to the conservation of biodiversity in Kenya. In particular, representatives from the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources and Development, NASA/USAID SERVIR-Africa, ACC, NMK, Yale University… considered ways for their institutions to share and streamline their ecological databases to facilitate the access and use of such scientific information in informing climate change adaptation policy.....Download Report

Forging a Collaborative Approach

Arusha

16th and 17th February 2012 - WORKSHOP REPORT

The Tanzania-Kenya borderlands span 16 protected areas ranging from Serengeti-Mara to Tsavo-Mkomazi and support the largest bushed savanna elephant population in Africa. Herds range widely beyond parks, across community land and between the two countries. The challenge of conserving such migratory and vulnerable herds brought together in Arusha over sixty representatives of the two governments, communities, conservation organizations and researchers in Arusha to forge a collaborative approach. The workshop was organized by the African Conservation Centre in Kenya and the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania, and funded by the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation.

The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute opened the workshop by strongly endorsing a collaborative approach to conserving the trans-border elephant population. The Tanzania Wildlife Division and Kenya Wildlife Service outlined their newly completed national elephant management plans. Both countries stressed the need to win space for the expanding elephant herds beyond parks by identifying and securing movement pathways, improving anti-poaching operations, reducing human-wildlife conflict, generating wildlife benefits to communities and supporting collaboration between governments and with the private sector.

The collaboration at the heart of the workshop was given a timely boost by passage of the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystems Management Act, signed into law on 29thJanuary, 2012. The act sets up a commission to oversee the conservation and sustainable development of important East African trans-border ecosystems.

An overview of the workshop stressed the global significance of the borderlands as a hotspot of biodiversity, a tourist Mecca, an area rich in pastoral cultures and the birthplace of humankind. The opening session was followed by a discussion on common goals for the workshop.

The workshop then compiled the first tentative map of the location and movements of elephant populations in the borderlands, based on population counts, radio-tracked animals, tracks and signs gathered by researchers and community scouts and on genetic analysis of dung samples. The map showed the widespread movements of elephants across the Tanzania-Kenya border, between parks, over community lands and across the rift valley. It was agreed that the map will be routinely updated and made freely available for research and conservation purposes. The workshop also reviewed the information needed to monitor, plan and conserve a viable, interconnected elephant population across the borderlands and set up a task force to recommend compatible monitoring methods and research tools.

The community discussions looked into how to strengthen the capacity of communities to protect elephants, avert and reduce human-wildlife conflict and raise benefits from the use of wildlife. Top priority was given to mobilizing communities in the key elephant pathways, setting up security networks, raising awareness, encouraging partnerships, sharing information, exchanging knowhow and developing integrated work plans. The South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO) was elected to organize cross-border meetings as soon as possible. The communities, with the assistance of the government wildlife agencies and conservation organizations, will prepare conservation plans and identify the support they need to implement them.

The government agencies looked at their role in oversight and implementation of elephant conservation plans in the borderlands. They agreed that the current cross-border security meetings should be widened to a task force looking at all aspects of borderlands conservation, in line with the commission to be set up under the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystems Management Act. The task force will encourage public-private partnerships, community initiatives, joint patrols and monitoring and other collaborative efforts. It will include representatives from Tanzania National Parks, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania Wildlife Division, Lusaka Agreement Taskforce, Kenya Wildlife Service, NGOs, researchers, communities, and the private sector.

The workshop assigned specific tasks and identified possible start-up funds to get the cross-border community exchanges underway. The African Conservation Centre in Kenya and Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania were charged with coordinating activities.

The workshop concluded that the collaboration and coordination envisaged by the participants lays a foundation not only for conserving the borderlands elephant populations, and wide-ranging species more generally, but also for sustaining the diversity and integrity of ecosystems and landscapes.

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