Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (PAND)

Managing Institute:
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)

Project Code: 031-680-063	Start Date: 01-Oct-92	End Date: 01-Mar-98
Commitment: £500, 000	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - JFS

Project Background:
Human attitudes towards conservation and an understanding of local community aspirations and needs have been sadly neglected by nearly all international conservation organisations. WWF has, until recently, concentrated most of its efforts on the conservation of species and /or habitats, but little effort has been invested in the people who live in the surrounding protected areas. These people are, in fact, the guardians of the world's protected areas and in many cases they incur real economic losses, with little or no understanding of the reasons for the establishment of protected areas and the benefits they, and future generations, can expect from the conservation of their natural world.

Lake Nakuru is a shallow, alkaline soda lake in the Central Rift Valley, bordered to the west by one wall of the rift valley and to the east by a salt-dome hill. Occupying almost one-third of the Park's area, the lake has no outlet and assumes its unusual blue-green colour from the algae which thrive in the extremely high levels of alkalinity. These algae, in turn, form the principal food source for the many waterfowl, especially flamingoes: in fact the lake is better know as "The lake of a million flamingoes". WWF has selected Lake Nakuru and its surrounding environs for a pilot project to demonstrate the positive benefits of conservation to the people living in the zone around Lake Nakuru National Park. Lake Nakuru itself, was first established as a Bird Sanctuary in 1960, but because of the importance of this region, it was made a National Park in 1967. For many years this has been the focus of WWF activities which have recently included the purchasing of much of the land included in the present Park. More recently WWF, together with several other organisations, has focussed international attention on the Park with the development of a fenced sanctuary for black rhinoceros.

Project Objectives:
The objective of the project is to ensure the long term protection of the Lake Nukuru ecosystem and its catchment through the promotion of economically viable conservation based land-use and development.

Intended Outputs:
Wild Pest Control - Live Fences:

Step up production of M. Thorn seedlings from our production base at St Luke's Nursery, Baruti, Nakuru. Ten thousand seedlings will be produced.

Promotion of energy efficient cooking devices and tree production inputs.

Establishment of seed orchards. 10 new seed orchards will be established.

The 5th Annual Soil Conservation Campaign will be conductded between October 1995 and March 1996.

Tree production and afforestation. The 120 old tree production units will receive regular follow up and advice. Material assistance will be provided to less than 30% of these units. About 50 new units will be encouraged into production.

Rehabilitation works. We will complete works on the Rhonda Gully. Eroding river banks will be identified and communities will receive assistance in marking protected areas along the banks and revegetating them.

Intensive training for farmers. Over 300 farmers will receive training in soil conservation, agro-forestry, energy conservation and water conservation at Baraka Agricultural College, Molo.

Promotion of Animal Traction. 4 new animal traction units will be established.

Conferences. A conference on religion and its role in environmental conservation will be held. A conference will be held to draw up a conservation plan for the recently deforested area of Likia. A conference will be held to discuss the use and abuse of pesticides in the catchment basin.

Staff training. Field staff will receive training on animal traction. Programme officers will receive training on participatory approaches to rural development and on project planning and reporting.

Conservation awards. Awards will be awarded to farmers, extension workers and entire communities for excellence in conservation endeavour. These awards will take the form of cash prizes, books, bus shelters, etc. Over 200 field days/ demonstrations on various themes related to environmental conservation will be carried out during the year in 10 target areas.

Environmental Education Programme:

Develop the training capability of Kenya Wildlife Service:

The Project will contribute 3 million shillings towards the construction of a classroom at the KWS Field Study Centre in Nakuru.

Production of Educational Material. The project will produce slide packs, video films and publications for use in its outreach programme.

Training resource persons. Commnity leaders will be invited to attend inter-disciplinary training courses at the KSW Field Study Centre.

Nature clubs. Nature clubs will be encouraged in schools and among rural and urban communities.

Lecture and park tours. Lectures on appropriate environmental topics will be conducted at primary and secondary schools, church group meetings, meetings of youth clubs and service clubs within the catchment.

Support for business opportunities. Park neighbours will recieve materail and technical support to start small beedkeeping projects.

Environmental Assessment Programme: Develop an environmental monitoring programme for Lake Nakuru.

Water Balance Studies. We will continue to expand and maintain existing sysems for the collection of hydrological and meterological data.

Environmental Planning Programme.

The Nakuru mapping project will be completed.

Environmental committees will be activated.

A conference on land use and planning in the catchment area will be held.

Two Workshops for urban planners will be held.

A scheme for pollution release and transfer registry for Nakuru will be started.

Population study in Lake Nakuru catchment basin.

The project will participate in the WWF Population and Conservation Integration Project.