Objectives of the Project:
The purpose of the study is to support the County Government of West Pokot, recipient communities and relevant stakeholders including AICS to better understand the main drivers of environmental degradation in the project area in order to identify and implement suitable restoration initiatives through policy changes and project specific activities thus contributing towards the environmental sustainability in West Pokot.
Services Provided:
● Carrying out in the two watersheds targeted under the project an assessment of communities’ land use planning, management, and governance.
● Identifying the drivers of environmental degradation and carrying out a spatial analysis to describe direct and indirect causes.
● Assessing how multiple drivers, both natural and human, direct and indirect, may determine changes in ecosystem services and highlight mechanisms by which drivers interact with specific ecosystems to alter their condition and ability to deliver services.
● Using participatory approaches that enhance local ownership of communities and local government, analyse interactions between ecological, sociocultural, political and economic drivers of environmental degradation in the target catchments and specify the role of various actors.
● Establishing the relationship between drivers and land cover change and estimate the relevance and weight of each driver.
● Carrying out a historical spatial assessment of the drivers of environmental degradation over the last 30 years using available information on land use/ and remote sensing analysis.
● Visiting the most degraded areas and assess the extent of environmental degradation and needs for restoration
● Undertaking mapping of the catchment using GIS/Remote sensing technologies and defining high risk areas for environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity to suggest where ecological restoration efforts should be concentrated.
● Collecting and compiling the baseline information relevant to the project.
● Defining a set of proposed strategy options to mitigate the current and expected drivers of environmental degradation in the project area and suggesting the most relevant, technically feasible and cost-effective restoration intervention types; quantify costs and benefits of each intervention type; and estimate potentials for carbon sequestration by these intervention types (Restoration Opportunities Assessment).
● Based on the study findings, carrying out a policy analysis to highlight gaps and identify opportunities to promote and enhance environmental conservation in West Pokot.
● Presenting the findings and recommendations of the study to the West Pokot County Government and other stakeholders during a workshop to promote improved environmental policy and legislation at the county level.
