All implementation ugencies for TWENDE project should fasten activities towards restoring the three targeted landscapes of Mid Tana River, Sabarwana and Chyulu, in beating the duration timelines running for 5 years from 2020. This will quickly enhance climate resilience of Kenya’s prioritized arid and semi- arid lands.
Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said this when he officially launched the TWENDE project on 7th April 2022 at Maanzoni Lodge in Machakos County, where partners for the project implementation had met for a 4 days retreat for a senzitization process of design and implementation.
The TWENDE project is geared to be imprementad in eleven Counties in three major landscapes of Mid Tana River, Sabarwawa and Chyulu which have devolved powers under Kenya’s new consititution. These Counties are; Marsabit, Isiolo, Garissa, Samburu, Tana River, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Makueni and Kajiado. These targeted areas are dry grazing areas which are critical resource zones that provide refuge during periods of droght.
Beneficiaries to this project are 620,000 persons in approximately 104,000 households, with a restoration target of 500,000 hactares of rangelands and in a landscape of 2.5 million hactares.
Implementation of the project will be done in 3 components;
1 Climate cahange adapted planning for drought resilience, to be excuted by National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) for strengthening climate change and vulnability analysis.
2 Restoration of rangeland landscapes for ecosystem based adaptation, to be steered by GOK through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives in addressing rangelands resource degradation and restoration.
3 Climate change resilient ecosystem management for investiments, to be managed by Conservation International (CI) in mitigating risks associated with climate changeand how to increase incomes from resource managent.
The launch of this project was also attended by Micah Powon PS ASALS, Bishar Fille DLP, Yasuda Kaori IUCN, CollinsCheruiyot TWENDE PMU, Stanley Humaiya SDL, among others.
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