Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change, through Ecosystem based adaptation approaches (EBA)

The overall project outcome of the EbA Scale up project is: “Effective and sustainable Ecosystem – based Adaptation (EbA) measures for mountains are applied and up-scaled and planned for application in other mountainous regions in South America, East Africa, and South Asia and shared globally by key actors”. This outcome will be realized through three components namely;

a)    Continuation of mountain EbA measures within the old EbA sites, including monitoring, and adapting of measures to emerging circumstances where necessary.

1. Scaling up of the Mountain EbA approaches to new sites locally but also advocating for its uptake into local and national planning processes and strategies.
2. Lobbying for the inclusion of EbA as an adaptation strategy for mountain regions in national and international policies and planning processes.

The project also builds on ongoing initiatives within the landscape, especially the Sipi Integrated water resources management and development, by the Ministry of Water and Environment. The Scaling up Mt. EbA project directly contributes to restoration of the Sipi Sub catchment, including restoration of river buffer areas, increasing tree cover, and controlling soil erosion through application of selected EbA measures thereby directly and indirectly contributing to ecosystem resilience, sustained ecosystem services, reduced disaster risks, as well as diversified and sustainable livelihoods, all of which underpin climate change adaptation.

In order to determine the EbA measures which should be scaled up or replicated, a vulnerability impact assessment and baseline was carried out in June – July 2018 to determine those EbA measures which show promise in terms of effectiveness and sustainability.  A total of four EbA measures were recommended for scale up. These include;

1. Micro catchment vegetation, for River bank protection; This involves participatory marking of the river buffer (15m agreed upon for R. Kaptokwoi and 6m agreed upon for R. Chebonet), eliminating cultivation activities and re-vegetation of the river buffer through natural regeneration, and planting grass (Bamboo & Napier) and trees.
2. On farm soil and water conservation; this includes establishment of contour trenches (Fanya juu and Fanya Chini) stabilised with grass and/or shrubs and contour bands stabilised with grass. These will be promoted alongside practices such as contour planting, crop rotation, as well as mulching with crop residues to reduce on nutrient mining, increase organic matter and improve the soil structure.

• Agroforestry to provide wood and reduce pressure of forests and woodlands; this includes integration of trees within crop land e.g., on farm boundaries, within river buffer areas, as well as trees for stabilizing soil and water conservation structures.

In order to effectively implement these three EbA measures in the two micro-catchments mentioned in (1) above, partnership is sought with a local community based organization whose mandate and geographical scope intersect with the objectives of the EbA Scale up project.

KADLACC was identified as a local community CBO to undertake the above task after institutional understanding through signing an implementation agreement for a period of eleven months.