 | SFS Research and Leadership Facilitates Funding from EU
to aid Kenyan Community Organization with Water Resource Conservation Project:
SFS is strategic research partner in this new project to improve local ecology, health, and economy.
February, 2008 Kimana, Kenya – The School for Field Studies (SFS) Center for Wildlife Management Studies, working in collaboration with Noomayianat Community Development Organization (NCDO), announced the successful petition to the European Union's Community Environment Facility (CEF) for funding to implement the Kimana Community Water Resource Conservation Project. The goal of this project is to facilitate improvement in the livelihoods of local communities on the Kimana Group Ranch through research and implementation of an integrated water resource management approach. SFS faculty and students will be involved in this project, which is funded for over two years until June 2010. Partnering with SFS on this project is the Noomayianat Community Development Organization (NCDO), a local community-based organization in Kimana Group Ranch in the Kajiado district of southern Kenya. Kimana Group Ranch is a property communally owned by a group of Maasai families. The property falls within the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, which encompasses more than 6,000 square km. Other partners on this conservation project include the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Water Resources Management Authority, and the African Wildlife Foundation, among others. The area has been traditionally used by the Maasai pastoral community to graze their livestock on a communal basis. Recently, however, non-Maasai migrants have established permanent agricultural fields around the Ranch's important wetland areas. As a result there have been increasing conflicts over water resources, not only between patoralists and agriculturalists, but also between wildlife and livestock. SFS Program Dean Robin Sears is deeply committed to the principles behind this project. She stated, “There is a clear link between environmental degradation and poverty. Water scarcity and contaminated water both lead to hunger and illness, which not only results in a health care burden on a household or community, but also makes it difficult for laborers to work and children to study, thereby reducing productivity. Water and environmental conservation is recognized as an important axis in poverty reduction, as provision of clean domestic water creates improved personal health, leading to better livelihoods for the community.” She went on to add, “This project will not only protect the local ecology and improve the quality of life for the local settlements, but will also provide valuable, practical focus for SFS field work in both our Public Health and Environment Management Studies and our Wildlife Management Studies programs.” Dr. John W. Kiringe of SFS was the lead person in organizing this project and bringing it before the CEF. Living and working at the Kenya field station, SFS faculty have strong relationships with local Maasai communities. The NDCO contacted SFS and worked with them in proposing an integrated water conservation project on the ranch landholding. Contingent upon getting the funding, a report was requested by CEF on past community development projects on the ranch, as they wanted an assessment of the relative success of similar projects in the region and the lessons learned. Dr. Kiringe led the SFS faculty in this, researching and publishing a report entitled Community Development Projects in Kimana Group Ranch: Constraints, Success Lessons, and Recommendations, which was key to the success in receiving funding from the CEF. As the strategic partner on this project, SFS will continue to lead in research and implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) strategies. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, IWRM is defined as a participatory planning and implementation process that brings together the different stakeholders to determine how to meet long-term needs for water resources while maintaining essential ecological services and economic benefits. IWRM helps to protect the environment, foster economic growth and sustainable agricultural development, promote democratic participation in governance, and improve human health. A focus of SFS research on the project going forward will be creating a comprehensive water situation analysis through mapping of waterways, assessment of water quantity and flow, and water quality assessment. Other project steps include: - environmental rehabilitation of degraded water catchment areas to improve water quantity and quality through tree planting, soil erosion control strategies, protecting water springs by fencing
- constructing new and rehabilitating existing water distribution canals
- capacity building for the community through outreach and education
- developing systems for domestic water harvesting through installation of earth dams and storage tanks
About The School for Field Studies
Since 1980, The School for Field Studies (SFS), a leader in field-based study abroad, has combined hands-on environmental studies with scientific research to develop sustainable solutions to critical environmental problems. SFS students work with communities in developing nations to discover practical ways to manage their natural resources. In the process, SFS students undergo a transformational experience that assists them in advancing their careers as skilled professionals and globally aware citizens. SFS continues to conduct research and work with local communities through its centers in Mexico, the British West Indies, Costa Rica, Kenya, and Australia. SFS is a non-profit educational institution based in Salem, MA.
www.fieldstudies.org About the SFS Wildlife Management Studies:
The focus of this program serves to assist in maintaining the integrity of the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem while simultaneously promoting sustainable cohabitation between human communities, wildlife, and other natural resources. About the SFS Public Health and Environment Program:
As an extension of its environmental-focused research, SFS has created this course in environmental and community health in Kenya, specifically focusing on the indigenous Maasai community. The program was created in academic partnership with several leading universities, including the Boston University School of Public Health. ###
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