In a collaborative effort with our local partners, CETRAD , the National Land Commission (NLC) and the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), the Wyss Academy has successfully mapped an area larger than 54,000 km2 in Kenya. The region studied is larger than the size of Switzerland and encompasses the counties of Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu.
As a result of this initiative, more than 3,500 critical natural assets were identified and documented, including springs, wetlands, salt licks, and dry-season grazing areas. All information is now available for consultation and use by local decision-makers. The goal is to help ensure that these natural assets are formally included in a natural asset register and protected by law.
In addition to the natural assets, the mapping has also integrated other important information, such as citizen knowledge and various levels of governance, including grassroots and county-level governments. These were identified during the mapping process, and an efficient methodological approach was developed to incorporate them into the assessment. Learnings from this process will now be shared with other counties in Kenya and have the potential to be scaled to other dryland counties, helping to further protect critical natural resources.
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