AVENUES FOR VOLUNTARY COMMITMENT DISCUSSED WITHIN MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PLATFORMS, BASED ON A SCIENTIFIC DIAGNOSIS
6 220 species
evaluated, including 380 endemic
642 species
including 213 endemic species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (2021-1)
49,029 ha
Primary forest lost between 2002 and 2020, i.e. 14% of the country's total wooded area.
Threats
(source: IUCN Red List 2021-1)
The challenge: tackling the causes of biodiversity erosion in Kenya
Kenya is divided into five zones with very varied landscapes (forests, plains, mountains, grasslands, semi-arid scrubland, etc.) as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. Freshwater and saline ecosystems cover around 8% of Kenya's surface area. These areas are essential to the country's biodiversity, food production, hydrological stability, mineral cycles and socio-economic development. Freshwater and saltwater areas are part of an essential balance for many migratory birds, but also for the food and daily life of the inhabitants (fishing, mangrove wood, economic activity...).
Kenya also boasts numerous protected areas (national parks, reserves and sanctuaries), but over 70% of the country's biodiversity is located outside these areas managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), making it particularly vulnerable to threats and leading to multiple conservation challenges. Kenya also boasts a wealth of mammals, 14 of which are endemic to the country, including the African elephant, black rhinoceros, buffalo, leopard and African lion.
Finally, Kenya's biodiversity is impacted by a number of threats: demographic pressure, escalating poverty and conflict, land-use practices leading to degradation and pollution, invasive species such as the Nile perch and the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria, coral degradation due to climate change, the tourism industry nibbling away at fragile coastal zones, etc.
In Kenya, stakeholders were mobilized at Kajiado County level.
Based on Diagnosis 2, three enrichment workshops were organized.
A first workshop mobilized the Private Sector Working Group of the Intersectoral Forumon Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology, a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to promoting agroecology.
A second workshop was organized with stakeholders from the public, civil society and research, in preparation for the COP.
A final workshop with relevant stakeholders in Kajiado County brought together the deconcentrated services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and representatives of water resource user associations.
Options chosen and scenarios discussed
Agriculture (tomatoes)
Agriculture (tomatoes) - Raising awareness and building capacity among tomato growers
- Adoption of more efficient farming practices
- Reforestation of at least 10% of the area cultivated by farmers (in accordance with agricultural regulations in force since 2009)
- Certification and sustainability standards as a tool for monitoring the biodiversity footprint of tomato production along the value chain
Breeding
Breeding - Raising awareness and building capacity among breeders
- Development of and adherence to pasture management plans
- Adoption of alternative pastoral practices
- Reforestation of at least 10% of the total grazing area
- Certification and sustainability standards for meat and dairy products as a strategy for integrating biodiversity into farmers' economic decisions
Forests (charcoal)
Forests (charcoal) - Awareness-raising and capacity-building for charcoal burners
- Adoption of more efficient coal utilization technologies
- Reforestation or natural regeneration on degraded pastures
- Using Nature-based Solutions as alternative income-generating activities
- Certification and sustainability standards
- Payments for ecosystem services in the forestry sector
The engagement scenarios identified in Kajiado County (Kenya) are identical to the solutions identified by the stakeholders, since DIAG2 has incorporated the recommendations from the 3 enrichment workshops.