Kenya launches $160 million conservation initiative to support communities and biodiversity.
Kenya's government and partners including the Kenya Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy launched Thamani Asili, a 10-year, $160 million program to fund conservation across 31 counties while supporting local livelihoods.
Kenya's government has launched a 10-year, $160 million conservation program called Thamani Asili, a Swahili name meaning the value of nature. According to Mongabay's report, the program was announced on Oct. 21. It targets 17.3 million hectares (43 million acres) of existing conservation areas and community-managed land across 31 of Kenya's 47 counties. It also aims to establish 2.7 million hectares of new conserved areas.
The program is backed by $80 million from the Kenyan government, which philanthropic partners are expected to match. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano presided over the launch at Tsavo West National Park on behalf of President William Ruto. Partners include the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), The Nature Conservancy and Enduring Earth. Using the Project Finance for Permanence model, KWS said, the program aims to move conservation beyond short-term funding cycles toward predictable investment and measurable results.
Money will flow through the newly established Thamani Asili Fund for Kenya, an independent conservation trust fund that will manage and disburse financing and track progress against agreed targets. The four initial priority landscapes are Tsavo and the coast, northern Kenya, the Rift Valley and western Kenya, and southern Kenya. The statement from KWS and The Nature Conservancy says the work includes improving management of 11 million hectares of existing conservation areas and helping communities better manage another 6 million hectares.
The initiative is described as part of Kenya's goal to bring at least 30% of its lands, inland waters and near-shore ecosystems under effective conservation and management. According to the Protected Planet database, about 13% of Kenya's land area and less than 1% of its marine and coastal areas are currently protected. The government projects that the program will benefit 1.6 million people and create nearly 22,800 jobs, about 7,800 direct and 15,000 indirect, in ecotourism, sustainable grazing, carbon initiatives and other nature-based enterprises. It is also expected to help avoid about 7.5 million tons of future carbon emissions by 2035.
KWS director general Erustus Kanga said: "Our communities are not separate from conservation; they are its heart." Ademola Ajagbe, The Nature Conservancy's regional managing director for Africa, said the program's success would be measured by its effect on people's lives rather than the size of the fund. He added: "community leadership is not an addition to this initiative. It is its center of gravity."
At a Glance
- Thamani Asili is a 10-year, $160 million program announced on Oct. 21 and launched at Tsavo West National Park.
- The government is contributing $80 million, which philanthropic partners are expected to match.
- The program covers 31 of Kenya's 47 counties and aims to create 2.7 million hectares of new conserved areas.
- The government projects 1.6 million beneficiaries and nearly 22,800 jobs, including 7,800 direct and 15,000 indirect.
- About 13% of Kenya's land and under 1% of its marine and coastal areas are currently protected.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.