The Communities Behind Grassland Restoration in Kenya – The Nature Conservancy

Report on Community-Led Land Restoration in Westgate Conservancy

1.0 Background: Environmental Degradation and Sustainable Livelihoods

An assessment of the Westgate Conservancy reveals significant land degradation over the past generation. Environmental conditions, once characterized by healthy grasslands and plentiful wildlife, have deteriorated. This decline is exemplified by the endangerment of local species such as the Grevy’s zebra, directly impacting progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land). The degradation threatens the pastoralist livelihoods central to the community’s economic stability, challenging SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

2.0 Causal Factors and Socio-Economic Impacts

The primary drivers of this environmental decline have been identified as a combination of unconstrained livestock grazing and increased frequency of drought, a direct consequence of climate change. This aligns with challenges addressed by SDG 13 (Climate Action). The socio-economic repercussions for the community include:

• The necessity for herders to travel long distances to find adequate grazing land for cattle.
• Increased risk of inter-community conflict over scarce resources, undermining SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• A direct threat to the sustainability of the community’s pastoral economy.

3.0 A Localized, Gender-Responsive Intervention

In response to these challenges, a community-led initiative was pioneered by Ngeti Lempatia, a female elder. The intervention involved restoring small parcels of land by fencing them off from livestock and wildlife, allowing the ecosystem to rest and recover. This nature-based solution demonstrates a practical approach to achieving land degradation neutrality (SDG Target 15.3).

Notably, the initiative faced initial resistance from male community members, highlighting a significant social barrier. Lempatia’s perseverance in the face of this discouragement underscores the critical role of women’s leadership and participation in environmental decision-making, a key component of SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Her stated objective was to restore the land to ensure the well-being and stability of future generations.

4.0 Contributions to Global Sustainable Development Goals

The land restoration project in Westgate Conservancy serves as a case study in achieving multiple SDGs through a single, integrated intervention:

1. SDG 15 (Life on Land): The core activity directly addresses halting and reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss.
2. SDG 13 (Climate Action): The project builds local resilience to the impacts of climate change, specifically drought, through ecosystem restoration.
3. SDG 5 (Gender Equality): It showcases the empowerment of women as agents of change in community-based natural resource management.
4. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): By improving local resource availability, the initiative reduces a primary driver of potential conflict between communities.
5. SDG 1 & 2 (No Poverty & Zero Hunger): The restoration of grazing lands strengthens the foundation of the local pastoral economy, thereby enhancing food security and economic resilience.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The text directly addresses issues of land degradation (“the land around her has become degraded”), desertification (“unconstrained grazing and increased drought”), and biodiversity loss (“depleted of wildlife, like the now endangered Grevy’s zebra”). The core of the story is about Ngeti Lempatia’s efforts to restore the land.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article explicitly links the environmental problems to climate change, stating that “increased drought in a changing climate” is a cause of the land degradation. This connects the local challenges to the broader global issue of climate change and the need for adaptation and resilience.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The consequences of land degradation extend to social stability. The article mentions that herders were “at risk of conflict with other communities” when searching for grazing land. Ngeti’s restoration efforts aim to mitigate this risk by making local resources more abundant.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The story highlights the role of a woman, Ngeti Lempatia, as a leader and agent of change in her community. It notes that “men in the community discouraged her,” but she “pressed on,” demonstrating a struggle for women’s leadership and participation in community-level environmental management.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. Ngeti’s actions of “fencing out wildlife and livestock, allowing the land to rest and recover” are a direct effort to “restore degraded land.”
  • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The mention of the “now endangered Grevy’s zebra” directly relates to the need to protect threatened species and halt biodiversity loss.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The community is suffering from “increased drought in a changing climate.” Ngeti’s land restoration is a grassroots adaptation strategy to build resilience against drought by ensuring a local supply of grass for livestock.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article implies a direct link between resource scarcity and violence, noting that herders were “at risk of conflict.” By restoring the land, the need to enter “unfriendly territories” is reduced, thus lowering the potential for conflict.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. Ngeti’s story is a case study of this target in action. Despite being discouraged by men, she took on a leadership role in environmental management, demonstrating her participation in decision-making about community resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 15.3 (Restore degraded land):

  An implied indicator is the condition and coverage of vegetation/grass. The article contrasts the past (“healthy grass was a given”) with the degraded state, and the goal of restoration is to achieve “plentiful grass.” The success of Ngeti’s project can be measured by the recovery of vegetation on the restored land.

• For Target 15.5 (Protect threatened species):

  A direct indicator is the conservation status of species. The article mentions the “endangered Grevy’s zebra.” Progress would be measured by an improvement in the population and conservation status of this species, moving it away from being endangered.

• For Target 13.1 (Strengthen resilience):

  An implied indicator is the distance herders travel for grazing. The article states that due to degradation, “cattle had to be brought over long distances.” A successful restoration would mean “young herders wouldn’t need to travel far to graze their livestock,” making this distance a measurable indicator of community resilience to drought.

• For Target 16.1 (Reduce conflict):

  An implied indicator is the number of inter-community conflicts over resources. The article mentions the “risk of conflict with other communities.” A reduction in this risk, measurable by a decrease in reported incidents, would indicate progress towards this target.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nature.org