On the 9th of December 2009, a group of 50 representatives from government agencies, local communities, researchers, conservationists, non-government organizations and the tourism sector convened to take stock of the devastating impact of the 2009 drought on Amboseli National Park and ecosystem The meeting, convened by Kenya Wildlife Service, Amboseli Conservation Program and African Conservation Centre reviewed data on the wildlife and livestock losses and proposed ways to minimize further losses and conflict and to restore the damage to herds, park and ecosystem after the drought.

Heavy losses have occurred in wildebeest, zebra and buffalo populations and many elephant and hippos have died. Overall losses to the large migratory herbivores are in excess of 75%. Wildebeest losses may exceed 95% and the small remaining herd is vulnerable to further losses in the coming year before any new calves are born. The precipitous drop in herbivore numbers will soon affect the carnivore populations, causing additional pressure on herbivores and the likelihood of a sharp rise in livestock predation. Livestock losses were reported as 81% among cattle and 64% among sheep and goat, and still rising. The losses pose enormous hardship on the pastoral community. The resulting poverty will see the use of natural resources, including charcoal making, bush meat and trophy hunting, rise sharply in the coming year.

Solutions to the drought impact recommended by the workshop included: setting up a carnivore-herbivore monitoring team; surveillance of the remaining herbivores; reinforcing KWS and community anti-poaching operations, gathering intelligence information and setting up a hotline for communications; expanding the Lion Guardians program to the Amboseli basin area to cover carnivore monitoring and community protection for lions; an immediate expansion of the Maasai land Preservation Trust programme to reduce carnivore-human conflict in the Amboseli area, and the establishment of a task force to implement the immediate actions called for by the workshop.

The workshop recognized the need for the community to re-establish its livestock economy as rapidly as possible, taking into account the need for environmental restoration and a transformation from subsistence to commercial herds based on few numbers and larger market value. It was recognized that subdivision had worsened the frequency and impact of drought.  Remedial action should include restocking with improved quality of livestock; developing "grass" banks with grazing management; improved veterinary services and rehabilitation of livestock dips, the diversification of pastoral economies in the area and higher education to provide better opportunities off the land.

The tourism sector concluded that it was not possible to "manage" the news of wildlife loss and that "spinning" the information would backfire.  Instead visitor experience in Amboseli should be diversified and improved through richer interpretation and expansion to the surrounding group ranches. To stem further impact on wildlife and habitat, an immediate moratorium should be placed on any new tourist facilities in and around the Amboseli basin. NEMA should be presented the results of the meeting and involved in discussion on the restoration of Amboseli and visitor planning.

Measures should also be taken to restore wildlife populations and habitat in Amboseli and to coordinate information and programs. The measures should include a species and habitat restoration plan. Habitat restoration should be based on the woodland and swamp restoration plots ACP and ACC have established in the basin, under the guidance of KWS, and with the co-sponsorship of lodges, non-government organizations, research programs. The restorations costs could be offset by carbon trading mechanisms.

The Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan will need to be revised in light of the large wildlife losses and impact of drought on the local community. An Amboseli resource-cum-information centre should be established on community land outside the park to coordinate and integrate research, planning and information dissemination in the ecosystem under the newly established Amboseli Ecosystem Trust.

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