Laikipia County hosted the national celebration for World Desertification and Drought Day (WDDD) on June 17, 2024, at the Maiyanat Community Conservancy in Ol Kinyei, Laikipia North. This year’s event, themed “United for Land: Our Legacy, Our Future,” highlighted the importance of sustainable land management and the urgent need to combat desertification and drought.
The event was graced by notable dignitaries, including the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, Hon. Soipan Tuya, Laikipia County Governor H.E. Joshua Irungu EGH, PS Wildlife Ms. Silvia Museiya, and MP Laikipia North Hon. Sarah Korere.
Other stakeholders present included representatives from NEMA, KEFRI, NRT, IMPACT, LCA, and TNC, as well as community members and development partners.
Kenya, particularly Laikipia County, has faced severe drought over the past four years, leading to dry rivers and the death of both livestock and wildlife. The Maiyanat Community Land in Laikipia was among the most degraded areas. To combat this, various partners, including LWF, KEFRI, Ilmamusi CFA, Borana Conservancy, and Africa Nature Investors (ANI), collaborated to introduce innovative land restoration technologies.
These technologies include micro-catchment bunds, Vallerani system, swales, tree planting, animal bunching and fencing, for assisted natural regeneration.
The combined efforts of these partners have successfully restored the health of the land, with the Maasai love grass, African fox tail, and indigenous tree species flourishing once again. This success attracted the attention of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, prompting them to choose Maiyanat as the venue for this year’s WDDD. This allowed stakeholders to learn about these effective land restoration techniques and consider their adoption in other landscapes.
LWF’s participation in WDDD was pivotal, given the significant impact of their efforts in restoring the Maiyanat Community Land. LWF has constructed 17,040 micro-catchment bunds, planted over 30,000 trees, and cleared 45 hectares of the invasive Opuntia stricta in Laikipia County.
During the event, LWF showcased a project on eradicating Opuntia by converting it into animal feed. This innovative process involves burning the harmful spikes of the plant to prevent livestock from being harmed, then crushing it to make fodder that can be mixed with other feeds. This project was lauded by Hon. Soipan Tuya who also presented the certificate of participation to LWF and called for replication of such technologies in other areas to economically utilize the invasive species.
Brian Otieno explains our pilot project of converting Opuntia stricta into animal feed to stakeholders. Photo Credit: Ann Ngunjiri
As part of the celebration for the day, LWF also joined Vision 2030 in conservation education and tree-planting at Ilpolei secondary school where we planted 300 trees of Terminalia and Melia volkensi which are drought resistant species that grow in dry areas.
Hon. Soipan Tuya, in her keynote address, emphasized the government’s commitment to environmental conservation through policies, strategies, and activities such as the 15 billion tree planting campaign by 2032. She highlighted the need for integrated resilience efforts to create sustainable solutions for ecosystem restoration and climate change.
Governor Joshua Irungu assured the county government’s support for sustainable implementation of intervention measures, including the eradication of invasive species such Opuntia. He reiterated that the theme “United for Land: Our Legacy, Our Future” aligns with the mission to enhance land restoration, ensuring continued support for communities and economies.
The celebration mainly featured tree-planting and exhibitions,the latter showcasing innovative solutions for sustainable land management. Attendees visited the 252-acre Maiyanat Demo plot to witness the implementation of land restoration initiatives such as semi-circular bunds, a rangeland restoration strategy for water-retention and grass-growing.
The interventions by LWF and other partners were recognized by various stakeholders, attracting partnerships aimed at restoring rangelands. The culmination of the event saw the distribution of tanks to schools by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and 20 beehives to Dupoto Beekeepers cooperative group to enhance their livelihood. SMACHS foundation other partners contributed to this effort besides other support to the community.
In conclusion, the WDDD celebration at Maiyanat Community Conservancy underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in combating land degradation. The success of innovative land restoration technologies in Laikipia serves as a model for other regions, promising a sustainable future for our land and communities.
