Greater Tsavo: Planning for a Vibrant Economy in a Vital Environment

Kenya's parks and game reserves, dazzling though they are, can never include enough terrain to sustain the large herds of elephant, zebra, wildebeest and other migratory animals that are Africa's unique heritage.

An estimated 70 percent of Kenya's wildlife lives on private or communal land at any one time. But land outside protected areas is filling up with farms and villages. Increasingly, wildlife is competing with people and their livestock for the same space and water causing resentment and sometimes violence.

Throughout East Africa, communities and conservationists, NGOs and government agencies are working to help wildlife and people live peacefully together. But many of these initiatives are piecemeal, and different communities and NGOs may have conflicting or redundant plans.

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) recently facilitated a Site Conservation Planning conference in Taita to help all interested parties in the greater Tsavo region plan together for the kind of future they would like to see.

"In greater Tsavo, communities, government, and businesses alike understand that a healthy environment, particularly a rich wildlife base, can be the foundation of a healthy economy as well," said Moses Kanene, manager of AWF's Nairobi Conservation Services Center.

"The communities and NGO's of the greater Tsavo region have been particularly active in developing conservation-based enterprises. There are some very exciting partnerships underway," Kanene continued.

Conservation-based enterprises are business ventures that depend on healthy natural resources, particularly wildlife and wild lands, and use them without depleting them.

Since area stakeholders have laid the groundwork, they're collectively ready to take the step of landscape-level planning, organizers stressed. Landscape-level planning in this case means creating a common vision for the region including Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks, plus communities in Taita and Taveta surrounding the parks, and ideally the Mkomazi Game Reserve across the border in Tanzania.

Kenya's Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. Major (Rtd) Masden Madoka spoke of the conservation challenges as well as economic opportunities:

"Our grandparents lived with so much wildlife they went to bed worrying about lions coming to call in the night. Today, our children have probably never seen a lion. Even visitors who pay dearly can only do so with a good guide.

"We are here today to celebrate our dream and the dream of creating a vibrant economy in a vital natural environment."

The Member of Parliament for Voi division Hon. Basil Mwakiringo spoke at the meeting, which also included district heads of the Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources; Water; Agriculture and Rural Development, and Culture and Social Services. Officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) attended the planning session as well. So did representatives from a number of local communities, tour operators, NGOs and private businesses.

The Site Conservation Planning session, held at Taita Hills Hilton Wildlife Sanctuary brought many stakeholders together February 7th to 9th . Speakers stressed that this comprehensive planning could herald a revival of both the economy and ecology in the greater Tsavo region.

The Tsavo ecosystem is home to many spectacular and rare species including large mammals, the rare birds of Taita, endemic trees, orchids and rare reptiles like the pancake tortoise.

"The Site Conservation Planning revealed a striking consensus on which species and places need particular protection," said Philip Muruthi, conference facilitator and Chief Scientist at AWF. "The group's targets for conservation action include elephants, which need vast wildlife-friendly areas to roam, and predators, which can cause problems for livestock owners through depredation but are also key attractions to tourists."

Participants at the meeting also called for action to conserve rhinos and endemic species--those animals or plants found nowhere else. In terms of ecosystems, the participants judged several wetlands such as Lakes Challa and Lake Jipe to be priority targets for conservation, since they are vital to all species, including humans, and are fast being polluted or depleted.

AWF's current activities in the region are part of the USAID-funded CORE program (Conservation of Resources through Enterprise), in which AWF is partnering with Kenya Wildlife Service, Pact Inc. and others to establish natural resource based businesses that can contribute to improving basic human livelihoods as well as conservation impact.

In addition to government agencies and other NGOs, AWF has also been working with several local community groups and companies such as Wildlife Works Ltd. and Savannah Camps and Lodges Ltd. to develop a range of conservation-based business ventures. Recent enterprises launched or planned through CORE include:

Student guest houses recently built at Kasigau location of Voi division . The first visitors, a group of students from the U.K.--arrived February 10 to study Kasigua's unique forest and the water catchment area. Their payment provides income for the landowners, and for keeping Kasigua's natural heritage intact.

Already, prospective investors are calling to find out how to invest in the LUMO Conservancy established by Lualenyi, Mramba and Oza group ranches with support from ACC and KWS.

Plans are underway to establish a conservation trust to make sure that wildlife can move in safety from Tsavo East to Tsavo West, and all the way to Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania.

Residents are experimenting with new businesses-honey-making, fish-farming, silk-making using local African moths--all based on a healthy environment.