Study urges pastoralists to embrace conservancies

Sleeping Warrior Eco Lodge in Soysambu conservancy. A study by Oxford University’s Said Business School researchers is advocating for establishment of wildlife-livestock conservancies by pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya as opposed to subdividing their land for urbanisation. PHOTO/FILE.

What you need to know:

  • Northern Kenya pastoralist communities living in closely knit villages that allow for establishment of wildlife conservancies on their land earn more millions than those who ‘urbanise’.
  • The study shows that pastoralists’ would benefit more by maintaining lush grazing fields as opposed to allowing for subdivision of their land for urbanisation.
  • In Marsabit, women have started silk collection groups that are earning them good returns.

A study has shown that pastoralist communities would gain more by establishing conservancies as opposed to subdividing their land for urbanisation.

Northern Kenya pastoralist communities living in closely knit villages that allow for establishment of wildlife conservancies on their land earn more millions than those who ‘urbanise’.

While conservancies bring in returns every year from tourism and better pastures for livestock, subdivision of land for establishment of trading centres and settlement schemes is a one-off ‘cash cow’ for pastoralist communities.

The findings are contained in a study conducted by Oxford University’s Said Business School researchers.

The study shows that pastoralists’ would benefit more by maintaining lush grazing fields as opposed to allowing for subdivision of their land for urbanisation.

WILDLIFE-LIVESTOCK

The year-long study observes that the pastoralists’ way of life can best be preserved through establishment of community-run conservancies that embrace a wildlife-livestock symbiotic relationship that will help them plan how to improve the health of their cattle through proper management of grazing fields.

The report which studied gains made at the community-led West Gate Conservancy vouched for speedy establishment of community-run wildlife sanctuaries in Northern Kenya saying these could be the panacea for better incomes, security and development with the community at the heart of it.

The study says while conservancies once established provide employment and tourism earnings to residents that increase day after day, urban centres only provide homes and shops whose gains dwindle as populations increase with annual and monthly fees being paid to county governments.

The study commissioned by a non-governmental lobby, Northern Rangelands Trust-Kenya, which is spearheading the formation of wildlife-cum-livestock conservancies, says conservancies have been found to increase in value as tourists stream in, lodges established while grazing is controlled by respective communities.

Using West Gate Conservancy as a model, the study found that as settlement centres continue to experience population increase, incomes declined while insecurity increased as compared to a conservancy model where individual communities monitored their own security situation.

“Communities that handle their projects as a group have easy ways of raising funds to implement agreed projects such as schools, cattle dips, health centres and road upgrading projects,” it says.

In Marsabit, women have started silk collection groups that are earning them good returns. The silk is harvested from cocoons growing wildly on Acacia trees while other families are now enjoying better returns from livestock sold under an agreed scheme managed through their conservancies.

"In 2011, West Gate Conservancy raked in Sh556,851,928 ($6,463,937) compared to the Sh307,908,803($ 3,574,205) anticipated gain from an urbanized settlement area.

The gains in a conservancy will continue to rise while those in a settlement area will continue to diminish," the report asserts.

MODERN METHODS

NRT-Kenya, which brings together 23 community run conservancies that currently manage one million acres of land as a single unit said communities were now being trained on modern methods of introducing higher yielding grass varieties for better livestock feed.

“The people now have their future in their hands as a community as compared to the urbanised group who live lonely lives whereby diminishing land sizes mean doom to their beef enterprises,” the study further says.

In 2011, the government earned Sh2,070,456 in taxes and locals benefitted from a Sh11 million development enterprise of better schools, health centres and cattle dips arising from tourism earnings as compared to urban centres that largely consumed while producing food valued at only Sh6 million through slaughterhouses.

This is in contrast to the conservancy that sold livestock worth Sh66 million.

With most communities being livestock-keepers, it was important that they form conservancies that will help conserve their grazing fields from depletion of pastures and insecurity so as to protect their future.

NRT-Kenya has been instrumental in linking communities to investors seeking to establish high-end lodges.

It has also helped lure rich wildlife enthusiasts to fund community projects in return for the communities’ commitment to protecting wildlife while utilising the lush lands for livestock keeping.