What We Do

Water is one of the most critical resources sustaining both wildlife and communities across the Laikipia landscape. LWF works to promote sustainable water management practices that protect water sources, support livelihoods, and maintain the health of ecosystems within the Upper Ewaso Ng’iro basin.

Our water programme is grounded in integrated water resources management, which involves balancing environmental sustainability with the social and economic needs of water users. We work closely with Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), Community Forest Associations (CFAs), county governments, national government agencies, researchers, civil society organizations, and other water stakeholders to identify priority water challenges and support coordinated responses.

LWF is also a partner in the Mount Kenya–Ewaso Water Partnership (MKEWP), a public–private initiative established to address critical water issues in the Upper Ewaso Ng’iro North Catchment Area. Through this partnership and other collaborative efforts, we contribute to strengthening catchment management, improving water stewardship, and supporting equitable access to water resources.

Through coordination, partnership, and engagement across the landscape, we work to ensure that water resources in Laikipia are managed sustainably for the benefit of both people and wildlife.

Tourism is one of the key thematic areas of LWF. For over a decade, we have supported the growth, coordination, and visibility of tourism across the Laikipia landscape, particularly tourism models that contribute to conservation and benefit local communities.

We work with tourism operators, conservancies, and community tourism initiatives to strengthen collaboration, support joint marketing, and address issues affecting the tourism sector. This includes ecotourism, adventure tourism, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, among others. Our role is to help ensure that tourism development remains compatible with conservation objectives and responsible land use.

Through tourism, we support opportunities for local employment, enterprise development, and investment, while reinforcing the importance of conserving Laikipia’s wildlife, landscapes, and cultural heritage.

To further strengthen coordination within the sector, LWF established the Laikipia Tourism Association (LTA), which brings together tourism operators and hospitality stakeholders across the region. The association provides a platform for collaboration, collective engagement, and coordinated efforts to support the long-term sustainability of tourism in Laikipia.

Rangelands form the backbone of the Laikipia landscape, supporting wildlife, livestock, tourism, and the livelihoods of communities. Their condition directly influences ecosystem stability, water retention, and the overall resilience of the landscape.

LWF works with landowners, conservancies, communities, and partners to support sustainable rangeland management and restoration. This includes promoting responsible grazing practices, supporting the recovery of degraded areas, and facilitating efforts to improve vegetation health and ecosystem function.

We are also engaged in addressing emerging threats to rangeland health, including the spread of invasive plant species that reduce forage availability and alter ecosystem balance. Through collaboration with partners and members, we support efforts to monitor, manage, and restore affected areas.

In addition, LWF works to ensure that rangeland priorities are reflected in land use planning and landscape-level decision-making. By providing a platform for coordination and information sharing, we help strengthen collective action among stakeholders managing land across Laikipia.

Through these efforts, we contribute to maintaining productive, resilient rangelands that sustain wildlife populations, support livestock-based livelihoods, and preserve the ecological integrity of the Laikipia landscape.

Conservation education is a core thematic area of LWF and focuses on strengthening awareness, knowledge, and participation in conservation among young people and communities across the Laikipia landscape.

We work directly with schools, teachers, and students through structured environmental education programmes, outdoor learning activities, and school-based engagements. These include conservation education sessions, wildlife and birding excursions, and practical learning opportunities that connect students to the ecosystems around them. Through partnerships with organizations such as the TonyWild Foundation, EcoPhilia Kenya, and Youth on Wings, among others, we support initiatives that expose students to biodiversity, build ecological knowledge, and inspire long-term interest in conservation.

Our work also involves engaging educators and community stakeholders to strengthen their capacity to support conservation learning and stewardship. By working with partners, schools, and communities, we help create opportunities for informed participation in conservation and strengthen the role of local stakeholders in protecting natural resources.

Through these efforts, LWF contributes to building a generation that understands the value of Laikipia’s wildlife, rangelands, and water resources, and is equipped to play a role in sustaining the landscape into the future.

Land use is a central factor influencing the health, productivity, and sustainability of the Laikipia landscape. How land is managed affects wildlife movement, rangeland condition, water systems, and the ability of communities to sustain their livelihoods.

LWF works with landowners, conservancies, communities, and public institutions to support land use practices that balance conservation and production. This includes supporting sustainable rangeland use, restoration efforts, and approaches that maintain ecological function while supporting livestock production, tourism, and other land-based livelihoods.

We also play a coordination and facilitation role by linking land users with technical partners, supporting knowledge exchange, and contributing to landscape-level planning processes. This helps ensure that land management decisions consider both conservation priorities and long-term land productivity.

Land use connects directly with our work in wildlife, water, tourism, rangeland management, and conservation education. By supporting integrated approaches, LWF contributes to maintaining a functional landscape where natural systems and human livelihoods can coexist and remain sustainable over time.