Bio-diversity

ERMIS Africa is a locally registered NGO working with natural resources dependent communities, including indigenous peoples and local communities, to build their capacity for sustained environmental services and improved livelihood through community-based initiatives and actions. Our programmes include: (i) Participatory research and mapping of resources for conservation and development; (ii) Climate Change Education, Training and Public Awareness including REDD plus; (iii) development and capacity building on community-adapted ecosystem monitoring techniques and tools including forestry, water resources, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation gains. ERMIS held consultative meetings with 26 CFA and 23 WRUA s to develop a complementary strategic proposal to provide capacity support to these grassroots institutions that will assist in (i) building their governance structures for enhanced organization performance; (ii) building their technical capacity to integrate biodiversity conversation and climate change mitigation activities especially REDD plus, (iii) develop and train the institutions on community-adapted ecosystem monitoring including forest, riparian areas, biodiversity conservation and greenhouse gases; and (iv) supporting community-based organizations in design, planning and management of sustainable nature based enterprise based on potential opportunities within Mt Kenya Ecosystem In addition, five (5) CFA s were nominated on an interim basis to act as County NRM Focal Point over the project proposal development phases. These include: MEFECAP CFA for Meru County; ILACOFA for Embu County; KANGAITA CFA for Kirinyaga County; GATHIURU CFA for Nyeri County; IRMAMUSI for Laikipia representing indigenous communities in the Mt Kenya Ecosystem. Upon successful financing, the proposed implementation structures will be established through an ecosystem-wide democratic process. The consultations suggested an interim project title dubbed Mt Kenya Ecosystem Conservation Forum aimed at strengthening Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change Mitigation, and Nature-based Enterprises for Livelihood Improvement within Mt Kenya Ecosystem. The main goal is strengthening grassroots community organizations including, 22 CFA s and 41 WRUA s, to full and effectively participate in biodiversity conservation and climate change within the Mt Kenya Ecosystem and Laikipia Rangelands. Through this project ERMIS wish to provide a long-lasting approach to securing Mt Kenya ecosystems by strengthening these grassroots institutions to integrate biodiversity conservation and monitoring techniques and tools into participatory natural resources management plans. The key areas of focus include: forest management plans, river sub-catchment management plans, community wildlife conservation and management plans, and management of sustainable Nature Based Enterprises The overall project goal is to strengthen biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and improved community livelihood in Mt Kenya. The specific objectives of the project include: 1. To facilitate full and effective participation of local communities including marginalized groups in biodiversity conservation and climate change related decision making and Implementation County and ecosystem levels within Mt Kenya Ecosystem. 2. To support grassroots NRM institutions to develop ecosystem planning and management tools with enhanced biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation approaches within Mt Kenya Ecosystem. 3. To develop the capacity of grassroots NRM institutions to implement biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and livelihood improvement projects based on informed guidelines and procedures from existing knowledge, experience and skills relevant to Mt Kenya Ecosystem. The project will place an estimated 2,100ha (100ha per CFA) of forest and riparian areas of Mt Kenya Ecosystems under biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation strategy. The main activities will include (i) establishment of NRM governance structures at County and Ecosystem Level to facilitate shared learning on governance and project delivery among CFA s and WRUA s, (ii) support CFA s and WRUA s in integrating biodiversity and climate change mitigation actions (REDD plus) within their NRM plans (PFMP, SCMP and LUP), (iii) provide technical support for the completion of the pending PMFP for 4 CFA and signing of the 13 pending FMA; (iv) capacity build community-based natural resources management organization (CFA s and WRUA s ) on sustainable nature-based enterprises based on potential opportunities within Mt Kenya Ecosystem..

Kenya