Environmental research

The Forest Action Network (FAN) will carry out activities in Ishiara, Embu County in Mt. Kenya Region, Tharaka Nithi in Meru County, Mt. Kenya Region and in Voi, Taita-Taveta County, Coast Region with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) and with co-financing from Trocaire, an Irish NGO. FAN is a leading Non Government Organization (NGO) working in natural resources management and the environment in Kenya. The organization has three major programme areas: management of trees and forests; policy research and analysis; and, environment protection and conservation. While the Forests (Charcoal) Regulations have been in existence since 2009, by July 2012, only five charcoal associations had been established and registered, while one more was being established. This means that the communities in the dry lands where most of the charcoal comes from have not benefited from the enabling legal environment. FAN would like to change this state of affairs by supporting communities in the dry lands of Ishiara, Tharaka Nithi and Voi, to form charcoal producers associations and thus begin benefiting from the new law and in doing so improve their livelihoods. In Ishiara, FAN will work with Ishiara Parish; in Tharaka Nithi with Tharaka Deanery; and in Voi with Voi Community Forest Association. FAN will do this by: - Holding forums to educate communities about the provisions of the Forests (Charcoal) Regulations, 2009; - Organizing communities to form Charcoal Producers Associations in line with the Forests (Charcoal) Regulations, 2009; and to establish tree nurseries to supply trees to be planted as a replacement for trees harvested for charcoal making. - Building the capacity of the Charcoal Producers Associations to manage their affairs equitably and efficiently; including selecting appropriate tree species to be harvested for charcoal making. - Constructing efficient charcoal kilns in the focus area; - Building the capacity of the new Charcoal Producers Associations to ensure quality control of their charcoal; - Building the capacity of the new Charcoal Producers Associations to market their charcoal; - Designing logos and packaging materials to identify each of the Charcoal Producers Associations in a unique way; - Simplifying the Forests (Charcoal) Regulations, 2009, translating them into Kiswahili and distributing to communities in the focus area.

Kenya