Access to clean water is a top community development priority at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project. In an already semi-arid landscape with limited access to clean and safe water, climate change is creating drastic changes to rainfall patterns in the region, resulting in widespread drought and water shortages. Over the past 50 years, mean annual temperature has risen by nearly 2°C, while the number of consecutive dry days is increasing and consecutive wet days are decreasing – resulting in higher frequency and magnitude droughts impacting the region. The seasonal precipitation patterns are highly unpredictable, challenging the efficient management of water resources in the project zone. This is leaving devastating impacts on the community, their livestock, and wildlife in the project area.
The Kasigau corridor project continues to expand healthcare and education spending, with the implementation of 3 novel health education pilot projects, the distribution of covid supplies as well as building, renovating and equipping schools within the project zone. A new cohort of enthusiastic rangers has been recruited and trained alongside a new Senior Research Scientist, Dr Geoffrey Mwangi Wambugu, who has joined the team. A widespread drought has challenged food security, but the communities remain resilient in their drive to continue the greenhouse enterprise.
The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project has multiple avenues of engagement with women’s groups throughout the project area. One of the most impactful and widespread initiatives is the Hadithi Crafts Support Community Based Organization (CBO), an umbrella organization that represents 61 women’s groups which make traditional handicrafts, providing economic alternatives for sustainable livelihoods to 1,773 women living in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project area.
Small and large-scale projects are continuing to bring transformative benefits to communities throughout the project area during the first half of 2021, touching the lives of the entire community. Through the Carbon Trust and Locational Carbon Committees, large investments in water projects have been made and significant developments in community income generation activities have continued to prosper, having a meaningful, positive impact on community livelihoods. While these activities continue to flourish, the lack of rain and COVID-pressures are straining resources. These pressures have resulted in competition for resources and increased human-wildlife conflict, livestock incursions and poaching. The project team is working to resolve these challenges through focused community engagement, an illustration of the dynamic, adaptive management capacity that strong REDD+ projects can bring to support forest communities.
Unlike the Covid-19 challenges that educators, students and families faced this last year, the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project has seen continued investment and progress in educating local community members.
In 2020, the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project continued to deliver unwavering impact for the forest, wildlife, and community, delivering social services and economic resiliency in a time of economic collapse. The world’s first REDD+ project, Kasigau continues to deliver groundbreaking results for, and in partnership with, the 120,000 community members living within the project area.
Partnerships combining the strengths of the Wildlife Works team with those of other organisations in the region, have continued to advance the collective development of shared sustainable development goals for all involved.
Long-term investments continue to show their positive impact,
in combination with adaptive project activities.
Despite the onset of uncertainty towards the end of the first quarter due to COVID-19, the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project has continued to deliver significant progress across the entire project area. In addition to providing continued, ongoing livelihoods support to the communities through uninterrupted direct employment, procurement of seedlings, and over $200,000 in educational bursaries, the project has also deployed its capabilities to produce critical medical supplies.
