Stakeholders attending the validation workshop on L. Naivasha pose for a group photo after the official opening

Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP) is a project funded by the Government of Japan, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR). To complement its activities for the successful restoration of the Lake Naivasha catchment, the MEMR through its Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP) contracted the services of REDPLAN Consultants Ltd to undertake a comprehensive study leading to prioritized actions for integrated rehabilitation of the catchment.

Having completed the study, stakeholders from key institutions actively involved in the rehabilitation of the Lake were invited to participate in a two day validation Workshop held on 26^th and 27^th April at Simba Lodge, Naivasha to review, provide feedback and authenticate the findings of the study before the final reports are submitted. The workshop was attended by 40 stakeholders from key ministries, departments, agencies and institutions.

Opening the meeting, the Environment Secretary in the Ministry ES highlighted the increased demand for water in Kenya due to an ever increasing human population. She said that the sources of water had steadily decreased due to destruction of catchment areas and pollution of rivers as well as increased incidences of droughts and illegal destruction of vegetation. As an effort to address the problem, the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, she said, had undertaken a master plan on conservation of the country’s water towers, other water catchment areas and carried out an inventory on wetlands.

Lake Naivasha is a Ramsar site recognized as an ecologically fragile ecosystem. The ES explained that its rehabilitation required strict compliance with Kenya’s internal commitment to protect it as well as ensuring that developments in this catchment are compliant with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act,1999 (EMCA). The catchment, she said, was currently under severe stress manifested by dry rivers, loss of biodiversity, decreasing lake water levels and increased siltation. The Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources is focusing on supporting restoration of the catchment through afforestation, reforestation, direct soil erosion control and rehabilitation of surface water dams/pans. These are efforts encapsulated in key initiatives that the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources is taking part in, which includes the Imarisha Naivasha; with a view of addressing the degradation of the Naivasha catchment in Kenya, and putting the environment and the local economy on to sustainable footing.

She concluded her remarks by emphasizing the need for stakeholders to actively participate in the workshop and input to the report practical feedback that would make the document implementable by the Ministry and other key stakeholders”.

Stakeholders were taken to field visit to degraded sites around the study area to help them provide feedback and validate findings of the study from an informed position.

The lead REDPLAN Consultant, Prof. Krhoda, provided an overview of the study which was basically the collation and synthesis of secondary information on physical and socioeconomic status of the study area; hydrology mapping and geo-referencing of the dams; and the identification of degraded sites with recommended measures for addressing degradation. He then went on to discuss the rationale of the study which is two-fold: a) being one of the most studied areas/ecosystem in Kenya with massive products from various researches, programmes and projects, there is need to harvest and synthesis the information; b) findings of this study will feed into the work of the Task Force responsible for developing the Master Plan for Conservation of the Water Catchment Areas.

The consultant discussed the specific objectives of the study, highlighting key challenges faced in addressing each objective. Some of the challenges mentioned were the accuracy of data which was crucial for addressing objective 3 – establish a baseline including identifying qualitative and quantitative indicators for monitoring impacts of land degradation and remedial interventions; the lack of economic evaluation tools in Kenya which limits objective 4 of the assignment – to carry out cost benefit analysis of the interventions proposed by the study. He then proceeded to discuss the purpose of the validation workshop, which was mainly to share information on the study and receive stakeholders’ views on the draft report.

The following six field sites were visited around the Lake Naivasha Catchment area.

i)            The Gully Erosion at the Kamere site : It demonstrates the amount of sediment eroded from the catchment into Lake Naivasha. During the visit, stakeholders learnt that in order to control soil erosion and inhibit further deepening of the gully, WWF constructed gabions. The gabions blocks sand soil from being eroded, but this trapped sand has attracted a lot of sand harvesting activities and as a result, opening up the gabions and thereby negatively impacting the efficiency of the gabions to reduce the amount of silts deposited in the lake.

ii)          Rubiri Primary School site gives a good example of the Green Schools Initiatives with extensive rooftop water harvesting and energy saving technologies. It was selected to show the contrast between the common grazing area that surrounds the school regarding sheet erosion, vegetation cover degradation, potential wind erosion from the expansive treeless areas and gully erosion from trucks and roads. The rehabilitation programme proposed by the Lake Naivasha study is expected to draw from such initiatives.

iii)         Kinangop Plateau is a highland grassland ecosystem where the endangered ‘Sharpe’s Long Claw’ bird resides. This site was chosen for its biodiversity and livelihood initiatives which are being promoted throughout the watershed by the Friends of Kinangop Plateau Group.

iv)         Muchida Dam site whose original size was approximately 5 acres, but has been silted over the years. It was selected to illustrate rehabilitation efforts through the Kazi kwa vijana initiative. However, even though KSh 3 million was spent for the rehabilitation of the dam, the project was incomplete as only half of the dam was desilted. This therefore indicates that the success of a project depends not only on the amount of money, but mainly on the involvement of the community /community participation.

v)          Karati River Crossing Forest where encroachment and conversion of forest land to farmland is common. The river flows through a gorge that would constitute a good dam site for water supply to the middle and lower catchment areas. At this site, participants observed browning of the water as a result of heavy siltation after heavy storms. The meeting was informed that although the area surrounding the river had over 10 WRUAs, yet, degradation is still occurring. Sand harvesting and deforestation are major activities in the area surrounding the river.

vi)         Lake Naivasha Basin View Point site was visited because it provides a panoramic view of the Lake region. On the northern side, one is able to view the deltas of Rivers Malewa and Gilgil, the Acacia tree line defining the approximate boundary of the designated riparian land, the Mau, Eburru and Ol Karia formations, and encroachment of formal and informal settlements within the riparian zones. Also observed was the significant and dangerous reduction in the size of the Lake Naivasha water body.

Dr. Harun Warui, Africa Adaptation Programme – Kenya, thanked stakeholders for their valuable contributions to the study. He acknowledged that the feedback, contributions and suggestions made on the study will help make the final document and ‘implementing one’, not a ‘shelf document’

PS, MEMR, Ali Mohamed addressing members of the Parliamentary committee on Lands, Water & Nat. Res. at as Hon. Mwakwere listens pensively.

Rare earth mineral which was discovered in Kwale county once properly exploited   will be adequate to run the economy of Kenya for five hundred years, Environment and Mineral Resources Minister Hon.Chirau Ali  Mwakwere has  observed.

He said that  the mineral together with Niobium  concentrations around Mrima hill in Msambweni district  was only second to deposits  found in China which was the  world’s top producer accounting for 95 per cent.

The Minster who was making presentation for the ministry’s 2012/2013 budget of sh. Two billion six hundred and ninety six million, three  hundred and    sixty five thousand and nine hundred to the parliamentary committee on Agriculture, Land  Natural resources  noted that, there were large deposits of mineral wealth in the country which needed exploration and exploitation for the benefit  of the nation.

The committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Mutava Musyimi observed that there was need to strengthen  the capacity of  the   Mines  and Geological  department to enable it  to carry out accurate  surveys  of  minerals which would be  managed     under the  constitution  and new  mineral laws.

Hon. Mwakwere, flanked by PS, Ali Mohamed and senior officers from the Ministry addressing members of the Parliamentary committee on Lands, Water, & Nat. Res

The committee members who stressed the need for conservation and proper management of  environment  and  ecosystem services  noted the  vital role the  ministry’s institutions of  National Environment Management Authority(NEMA)  Meteorological department  and  the  Department of Resource Surveys  and Remote Sensing played.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mr. Ali D. Mohamed told the committee that the ministry encouraged setting up of conservancies as a means of protecting biodiversity for posterity while greening programmes targeted degraded water ways and riparian areas especially rivers and dams all over the country.

Chair of the Parliamentary committee on Lands, Water & Nat. Res. Hon. Mutava Musyimi flanked by other members making a point during the meeting held at KICC

The Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources Hon. Chirau Ali Mwakwere has sounded the warning that Kenya is destroying itself through the rising mounds  of garbage in urban centres.

Addressing the 16^th National Environment Council (NEC) meeting at KICC the Minister said the situation is getting worse every day and called on local authorities in partnership with the private sector and other lead agencies to come up with recycling plants as garbage dumps can be turned from eyesores to sources of wealth creation and employment, assuring the Ministry will give its full support to such ventures.

The minister said the whole country will be mobilised to take care of the environment and institutions should take care of their waste warning that the soon   to be set up environment court    will catch up with those polluting the environment in whatever form    .

He further said the ministry   with other stakeholders and line ministries will jointly work together to introduce sustainable environment management in  schools curriculum from nursery to university so that from an early age, Kenyans are mobilised and educated on energy efficiency and waste management.

The Minister challenged NEC as an apex body of environment guidance at National level   to make immediate interventions to areas of environment of national   concern that would have grace consequences on the country.

He cited the Mwakirunge and Kibarani garbage dumps that are next to a Trans National highway and only a few kilometres from Moi International Airport Mombasa  as  contravening    International Aviation  rules  that require such dumps to be at least 13 kilometres  away as birds attached by the garbage dumps can cause serious aircraft accidents.

Introducing the NEC members to the Minister, the Permanent Secretary Ali Mohamed said, environment laws are being reviewed to be harmonised with the new constitution that places matters of environment in the Bill of Rights.

The Permanent Secretary revealed that   the National Environment Policy that is being developed by the Ministry in a participatory approach with stakeholders taking into account the Kenya Constitution 2010 and vision 2030 is being fast tracked and will address sustainable environment management.

He said, the policy will take into account emerging issues like climate change, green economy, environment guidance, gender and sustainable land management among others.

The NEC meeting was informed that the Taskforce on the master plan on conservation and sustainable management of water catchment areas is finalising its work on identifying, mapping, documenting and recommending   appropriative intervention measures at each catchment area so as to have structured intervention measures.

The NEC Secretariat is headed by the Director General National Environment Management Agency, Prof. Geoffrey Wahungu.

Participants from Mandera following the deliberations during the county consultations

North Eastern Province has been identified as being particularly vulnerable   to climate change   related impacts such as prolonged   droughts followed at times by floods leading to loss of livelihood, life, damage of property and infrastructure.
North Eastern Provincial Commissioner, James Ole Seriani officially opening a county consultation forum to develop a comprehensive action plan to implement the national climate change response strategy for north eastern region       at Garissa said the impacts of climate change in the region were severe as destruction of the infrastructure hinders humanitarian aid to mitigate.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Regional Commissioner, Jeremiah  Were  the P. C.    noted other examples of climate change include the recent extreme frost that attacked most of the highlands in the Rift Valley among other areas leading to heavy losses to tea farmers.

MR. Joseph Katumo from planning Div,MEMR taking the participants through the policy document

He said if mitigation and adaptation measures are not undertaken, climate change would impact negatively on Kenya’s Agricultural sector leading to heavy economic losses and food insecurity due to prolonged drought   including areas that were traditionally considered ‘ safe’ from extreme climate and weather events like droughts and floods.
He praised the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources   for its participatory   approach to developing a Comprehensive Action Plan to implement the National Climate Change Response Strategy.
The Action plan has eight operational Sub components covering   low carbon Development Pathway Enabling Policy and Legal Framework, National Adaptation Plan, National Appropriate mitigation actions, Technology development and Transfer, knowledge management and capacity development, National performance and Benefit Measurement and Finance.

Once the Action Plan is ready, the eight operational sub-components will be mainstreamed into relevant social economic sections and funds identified for implementation.
The process is designed to involve county stakeholders    consultations in line with the Kenya Constitution 2010 so as to ensure a true Kenya process owned by Kenyans.

Participants from Garissa County pose for a group photo at Almond Resort Garissa,after the forum

PS, MEME, Mr. Ali Mohamed addressing delegates during the 2nd session of the IPBES in Panama.

On 21st April, 2012, delegates representing governments adopted a resolution that established an intergovernmental body to promote and support the interface between science and policy decision making on matters concerning the conservation and sustainable utilization of biological diversity and ecosystem services. Kenya was represented in the meeting by a strong delegation led by Hon. Ali Mwakwere, Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources deputized by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ali D. Mohamed.

PS, MEMR, Mr. Ali Mohamed consulting with other delegates during the IPBES session in Panama.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) as the new body, will be aiming to bridge the gap between science and policy making in an effort to enable governments and other stakeholders to tackle the key drivers of biodiversity loss and degradation of Ecosystems.

Its main functions will be:-

• Generate knowledge on priority subjects decided by the platform

• Catalyse and coordinate regular and timely assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services

• Support policy formulation and implement relevant methodologies; and

• Catalyse capacity building initiatives to mainstream Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Development programmes for human well being

By performing the above functions; the platform will become the international reference for independent, credible scientific advice for decision making related to biodiversity and ecosystem services

The Secretariat of the platform will be based in Bonn, Germany which the first plenary meeting will be held in the first quarter of 2013 in a venue to be decided later.

The Minister, Hon. Chirau Mwakwere with PS, Ali Mohamed in Panama during the IPBES conference.