Pastoralists innovate land restoration techniques

Nanyuki,

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

KNA by Muturi Mwangi

Pastoralist communities in Laikipia North Sub County have devised innovative ways of land restoration through rain water retention methods that boost grass growing for their livestock.

The community which has put over 250 acres of land under restoration initiatives noted that the move would ensure they don’t lose their source of livelihood due to drought as it had been the case in the past.

The technology involves construction of semicircular buds, tree growing, grass reseeding and harvesting of rain water.

The communities are supported by Laikipia Conservancies Association, Laikipia county government and Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) among other partners in bid to ensure regeneration of a resilient ecosystem in the degraded community lands.

Imamusi Community Forest Association chairman Wilfred Ole Mejooli said that they had experienced a lot of challenges including lack of pasture, and water for livestock and domestic use hence with the land restoration programme, it was a relief for the residents.

“The aim of this project which sits on 250 acres of land is to rehabilitate this land and prove that even degraded land can be restored and be of benefit. As a community, we have had challenges including lack of pasture for our livestock and water but not anymore,” revealed Ole Mejooli.

He said, as a community, they decided to set aside a portion of their land from which they are now reaping fruits through innovative projects.

Susan Lekuya, a resident, said that in the past drought seasons. they lost a lot of livestock due to lack of pasture but they are now optimistic that that would be a thing of the past since they are now benefiting from their land restoration initiatives.

Laikipia Conservancies Association CEO Peter Matunge decried that residents lost over 70 percent of their livestock due to perennial drought that left about three million cattle, sheep, goats and camels dead in the 23 ASALs counties according to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) recent report.

“In the past three seasons, it didn’t rain due to climate change and as a result, the community lost over 70 percent of their livestock. That was their only source of their income,” noted Matunge.

Their livelihood was destroyed. Hence, we decided to initiate a land restoration project to save them,” said Matunge, adding that they aimed to replicate the land restoration projects across the county in bid to ensure pastoral communities have pasture and water for their livestock.

On his part, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Board Chairman Emilio Mugo lauded the community for using indigenous knowledge to restore degraded lands in Laikipia.

Mugo said that the government would support the communities in rehabilitating dry lands in the country and Laikipia would be used as a demo site.

Courtesy; KNA