Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resource Management

Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resource Management

Poverty in the project area – the districts of Embu, Meru Central, Meru South, Mbeere and Tharaka – has increased dramatically over the past decade with the drop in global coffee prices. Neglect of coffee plots leads to environmental degradation, the result of inappropriate agricultural practices on fragile soils. Deterioration and overexploitation of natural resources, the small size and low productivity of landholdings, together with population pressures, have contributed to rising poverty levels. Drought, flooding and unregulated use of water from rivers are other major causes of food insecurity and poverty.

The project supports the government goal of promoting environmental conservation as a means to ensure sustainable livelihoods for poor rural people. It helps strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations and local groups to formulate regulations for the sustainable management of land and water resources and to implement management plans. The project enables poor people to increase their incomes through food processing or off-farm activities, and it promotes improved market linkages.

Project activities focus on:

• supporting sustainable river basin and watershed management and development within protected areas;
• conserving and managing ecosystems, including forest rehabilitation, capacity-building for ecosystem management and for research, monitoring and information management;
• reducing human/wildlife conflicts related to the proximity of Mount Kenya National Park, in order to improve livelihoods and protect community investments;
• providing support to the Kenya Wildlife Service for management of activities financed by a GEF grant, and for monitoring and evaluating environmental impact.
  

Source: IFAD