Women-led Community Forest Conservation Initiative in the Mau Forest Ecosystem

The project is being implemented by Women in Water and Natural Resources Conservation (WWANC) and funded by Terra Fund for AFRI00 which is a consortium of World Resources Institute (WRI), One Tree Planted (OTP), Realize Impact and BARKA

It is focusing majorly on MAU Complex-Narok South, CHEBITET –BLOCK 30,31,32,33 covering 400 hectares of natural forest and 15 hectares of farmland.

Key stakeholders involved in the project are; the County Government of Narok, Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Water Towers Authority, Water Resources Authority (WRA), Community Forest Associations (CFAs) Youth Groups, Women Groups among others.

The project goal is enhancing landscape restoration through tree growing in natural forests and farmlands and increasing climate adaptive capacity of grassroots women and communities living around the Mau Forest Complex the largest water tower in Kenya. The project heightens food security and soil conservation as well as promoting pastoral ecosystem-based adaptation as well as enhancing capacity building and knowledge development for grassroots women on conservation practices and replanting threatened species that are quickly being depleted in the forest.

Project Impacts:

  • 200,000 indigenous tree seedlings planted in the MAU forest by the end of June 2024
  • 200 Ha of degraded forest being rehabilitated
  • By end of the project 15 Ha of farmlands will have been restored
  • 10,000 people including women, youth, men and children will have benefited at the end of the project

directly/indirectly through sale of tree seedlings & casual employment

  • Continuous flow of clean water in the local springs and streams around the MAU forest

ecosystem

  • 3 community tree nurseries to be established by 2025