Kenya is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change, especially drought, which affects the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on livestock and agriculture. Drought also degrades the rangeland ecosystems, which provide vital ecosystem services such as water, food, and biodiversity.
To address this challenge, Kenya launched a 5-year, USD 34 million project under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to help reduce the cost of climate change-induced drought on the country’s national economy¹. The project, called TWENDE – Towards Ending Drought Emergencies, is an ecosystem based adaptation project to be implemented in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid rangelands².
The project aims to increase the resilience of the livestock and other land use sectors in restored and effectively governed rangeland ecosystems, as identified in Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and development priorities³. The project will benefit 620,000 people in 11 counties of Garissa, Tana River, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Kajiado, Kitui, Makueni, Tharaka-Nithi, Meru and Taita Taveta and will aim to restore over 500,000 hectares of degraded rangelands in a landscape of 2.5 million hectares⁴.
The project has three main components:
- Component 1: Strengthening the institutional and policy framework for rangeland management and drought resilience, led by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA)⁵.
- Component 2: Enhancing the productivity and climate resilience of rangeland ecosystems and livelihoods, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives⁶.
- Component 3: Scaling up best practices and innovations for rangeland restoration and management, led by Conservation International (CI)⁷.
The project involves various stakeholders, including national and county governments, local communities, civil society organizations, private sector, research institutions, and development partners. The project adopts a participatory and inclusive approach, ensuring that the needs and interests of different stakeholder groups, especially women and youth, are considered and addressed.
The project is expected to deliver multiple benefits, such as:
- Improved rangeland health and biodiversity conservation
- Increased livestock productivity and income
- Enhanced water availability and quality
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration
- Strengthened capacity and governance for rangeland management and drought response
- Increased awareness and knowledge on ecosystem based adaptation and best practices
The project is aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the Big Four Agenda, the Ending Drought Emergencies Framework, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The project also contributes to the global efforts to combat climate change and achieve the Paris Agreement targets.
TWENDE is one of the largest and most ambitious projects funded by the GCF in Africa, and a flagship initiative for Kenya’s climate action. The project demonstrates Kenya’s leadership and commitment to address the challenges and opportunities of climate change, and to transform the lives and livelihoods of its people.
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