Challenges · Biodiversity · Deforestation · Food Security · Livelihoods · Water
347,000
2.5 million
Savanna
Livestock, Rice, Tea
The Mau Forest is Africa’s water tower, feeding many major rivers and lakes, including the Nile and Lake Victoria. This montane forest in Kenya provides direct benefits to an estimated 6-10 million people from water storage and purification, flood and drought mitigation, reduced erosion and sedimentation, and biodiversity protection and climate regulation. Over the past 15 years, however, high deforestation rates from agriculture, livestock grazing, logging, charcoal production, and new settlement has reduced the Mau Forest by a quarter of its previous extent. This has disrupted the provision of ecosystem services that support agricultural production of crops such as tea and rice, tourism in areas that depend on water supplies, hydropower energy generation, and other industries. Improved water catchment stewardship is needed for both local residents and the broader East African population to ensure a sustainable future.
In addressing the South West Mau forest conservation challenges, ISLA will build on existing bodies, structures and initiatives in the development of a multi-stakeholder dialogue and ultimately a long-term governance structure with strong public, NGO and private involvement. The dialogue is aimed at creating consensus among stakeholders, leading to a compelling vision, management plan and investment plan. The process will need to be supported by well-documented intervention scenarios and related economic consequences.
Winfred Mwaniki Senior Program Manager, IDH Landscapes & the Tea Program, IDH – The Sustainable Trade InitiativeThe IDH Sustainable Landscapes Program (IDH-ISLA) in South West Mau, Kenya, was designed as a multi-stakeholder dialogue and governance structure among public, private and civil society leaders to address the challenges facing the Mau Forest. To date, the IDH-ISLA has engaged a wide partner base, formed a board, developed the 2016-2018 joint action plan, secured funding commitments from participants and supporters, and implemented a number of “no regrets joint actions.” IDH-ISLA continues to fundraise and contract with implementing partners based its action plan.
IDH-ISLA engages private sector companies, government officials, and civil society organizations in its Mau Forest work. The initiative coalition is governed by a board and will be supported by a trust, secretariat, technical working groups, and numerous implementing partners. Goals include changing business practices to make the case for investing in landscapes, improving sector governance to support sustainability goals, and developing and implementing proven, scalable private sector-driven solutions.
To learn more about the project, please visit the IDH-ISLA website.
To achieve the SDGs, new models of investment and finance are needed that not only incentivize the scaling up of investment in sustainable agriculture and land management, but do so in strategic ways that contribute to the inter-related goals and effectively manage the competition and interdependencies for natural resources and ecosystem services among the Goals and among land users. This paper analyzes a number of those new models, and proposes actions that can be taken to improve the financial picture for sustainable development. Ahora disponible en español.
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The booklet was designed for leaders of African agriculture, food and beverage companies, and for the civil society and government land managers working to engage them. It offers cases of front-running companies who have applied the landscape approach in their African operations, a summary of the approach’s basic principles, a selection of cutting-edge tools, and an explanation of core integrated practices and their relevance to business operations.
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