Coordinated and Collaborative Land Management
Taita Taveta is known for its ranches, wildlife corridors important to the conservation of the greater Tsavo ecosystem and its richness in not just culture but also water bodies (rivers, springs and the likes of Lake Jipe, Lake Chala, Njoro springs, Mzima springs and River Lumi are all part of the landscape’s water bodies).
Traditionally, there was enough resources for the people, livestock and wildlife on the landscape to co-exist. Today, the landscape is under a number of stresses that are resulting to receding rangelands, and in turn, posing a great threat to the survival of the people and wildlife of the landscape. These stresses include:
- Prolonged droughts
- Resource-related conflicts
- Shift in grazing patterns
- Proliferation of invasive plant species
- Ecosystem degradation/habitat fragmentation
Focus Areas
At TTWCA, we are cognizant that to achieve landscape-level impact and have a connected and well-managed landscape, we have to foster collaborative approaches among our members and with the other conservation actors across the larger Tsavo landscape. We work towards achieving the landscape-level impact guided by the following overarching objectives.
Promote and actively participate in the development of the county spatial plan for better coordination and integration of goals into the wider landscape interventions.
Support resource mobilization for the development and implementation of land use plans and policies and a land cover data system that enables the undertaking of an ecosystem health assessment with a focus on climate, land, water and fire in the Tsavo landscape.
NB: The landscape is prone to extensive fires, including bushfires: over 37,500 acres were cleared by fires in 2020 alone.
Also, despite its water wealth, the region still suffers from massive water scarcity due to several factors, such as farming along the banks of rivers and dams, charcoal burning, and the felling of indigenous trees leading to land depletion and unpredictable rain patterns.
Advocate and advice on land restoration, rehabilitation and reclamation at the county level in several ways, including:
- The harmonization of land laws and land uses that balance the needs of the people, plants, livestock and wildlife of the shared landscape.
- Restoring and expanding forest cover and what used to be productive grasslands.
- Developing tree nurseries that raise native tree species for reforestation in crucial biodiversity habitats such as the Taita Hills area.