Livestock, Climate and Systems Resilience (LCSR)

Background of the Project

RECONCILE in collaboration with ILRI is implementing Livestock and Climate Initiative (LCI) to continue strengthening and potentially upscale the work on participatory rangeland management (PRM) in Baringo and Wajir counties. The project focuses at strengthening institutional functionality for effective rangelands restoration, management and protection for sustainable use. Essentially, the first aspect of this project focuses at working with communities to implement rangeland management plans, rangeland restoration and consider other related aspects such as improved livestock breeding practices. The other segment of the project is designed to address the challenges that climate change poses to livestock production, providing livestock-dependent communities with the support they need without accelerating greenhouse gas emissions or degrading land, water, and biodiversity. The third segment of the project is research. Largely, this project has been designed to contribute to the greater Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) new Research Portfolio, delivering science and innovation to transform food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

LCSR is a continuation of the PRM project implemented in four sites of Baringo namely; Koitegan, Kabarion, Paka and Irong. This second phase of the project has been designed to target the same rangelands units in Baringo and in Wajir counties to secure the gains made under PRM. As part of research, ILRI and RECONCILE have integrated the gender component to foster socially inclusive climate adaptation practices through PRM gender lens as well as livestock breeding to improve small ruminant’s management practices.

Achievements under LCSR

1. Successful transition of the project from the department of land to the Department of Environment, Tourism and natural resource of Baringo County – The first phase of PRM was domiciled at the department of lands. Through a TWG meeting, the project team and the county unanimously agreed on having the LCSR project in the department of environment based on its design. The department is charged with the responsibility of developing the conservancies and the management of natural resources in Baringo county. This strategically puts the project interests at the centre of the county plans and vision. Among the deliverables for the department include a rangelands management policy, climate change policy for the county and the development of the rangelands management plans. This therefore provides an opportunity to leverage on on-going work by the county.
2. Successful identification and orientation of the new project site on PRM as well as developing a joint intervention plan with the different community conservancies – Since PRM activities are participatory and stakeholders need to be defined, the identification of these actors was made successful based on the phase one of PRM. As such, the second phase took similar approach by; contact conservancy leadership, agreeing on mobilization and participation of the conservancy leadership and key representatives, site visit and meetings. This was followed through by an orientation meeting held on September 22, 2022 in Chuine with the four chiefs, the conservancy committee and the conservancy staff.
3. Situating the project within the discussion towards development of Baringo County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) The process towards the development of 3rd generation CIDP is rolling in country and as such, engaging with the process at this early stage makes the greater policy change desired. In pursuit of this, the project team have been part of the process including the governor’s stakeholder meeting to launch the CIDP development process.
4. Successful identification of project sites and subsequent mapping of site resources in Wajir county – Through LCSR project, a scoping study was conducted to help identify status, drivers and constraints to effective rangeland management. The study proposed a raft of measures including the suitable locations for implementing the project. Having assessed all the parameters, the most preferred sub counties for implementation of the LCSR project was Wajir south and West. The two sub counties present a number of issues for consideration; range resources degradation, community institutional capacities and arrangements, and government efforts that can be built on.
5. Stakeholders’ project buy-in– Since stakeholders are key in any project implementation process, the scoping study report was presented to the larger stakeholder’s forum to allow them give their inputs for collation and finalization of the report. At the end, the stakeholders drawn from the county leadership, community and other CSOs commented on the report and further expressed their willingness to work with RECONCILE to achieve the recommendations proposed in the report. This was followed through by the county government giving room for the formation of the Technical Working Group (TWG) who will coordinate the project activities in the county for maximum impact in the community.
6. Successful piloting of rangeland restoration activities – short resting through bush fencing, bush thinning and removal of invasive species was part of the larger rangeland restoration process. This process saw full and willingness participation of the community and the government, a clear indication that the exercise was well embraced by all relevant stakeholders. The participatory nature that it adopted will enhance rangeland restoration and regeneration while strengthening community driven grazing plans and patterns to enhance rangelands management, resilience to climate change and production of pasture. This strategically puts the project interests at the centre of the community and county plans. Among the visions for the community include a grazing plan with well-structured seasonal grazing mechanism. This therefore provides an opportunity to leverage on on-going efforts by the community to have animal feeds across the year to minimize cases of intercounty seasonal mobility.
7. institutionalization of participation component in the community. PRM has been very emphatic on the need for participation when carrying out the community activities. This came out very strongly when collecting data through Focus group Discussions in PRM site (Paka) and a neighboring non PRM site (Tuwo) where the field data established that the community in PRM site (Paka) embrace the aspect of collective action/participation in communal work thus strong adherence to the laid down procedures as opposed to the community from non PRM site (Tuwo) where participation is very low when responding to communal activities. This shows that PRM has brought more changes through collective action when addressing issues of pasture and water.
8. Enhanced Support from the Community: This achievement is significant because it reflects a positive shift in community engagement and commitment. The community’s willingness to support restoration initiatives and their ability to adhere to the two-month resting period without intruding into restored areas demonstrate a critical aspect of project sustainability. It indicates that the project’s goals are aligning with the community’s interests and values. In many conservation and restoration projects, community support and cooperation are essential for long-term success. The community’s commitment to preserving restored areas is a promising sign that the project is fostering a sense of ownership and environmental stewardship among local residents.
9. Strengthened Collaboration with Other Stakeholders: Collaboration with the County Government of Baringo and other non-governmental organizations such as the Baringo County Conservancy Association, WWF, researchers, and various stakeholders is crucial for the success of PRMs broad objectives, such as policy formulation and conservation. This achievement signifies that PRMs interventions are operating within a broader network of organizations and experts, ensuring that policies and interventions are well-informed and aligned with wider conservation and developmental goals.

In the context of policy formulation and conservation initiatives, collaboration is essential to avoid duplication of efforts, leverage resources and expertise, and create a cohesive approach to addressing complex challenges. Strengthened collaboration ensures that the project’s impact extends beyond its immediate scope and contributes to broader regional or national objectives.