The Kenya Great Rift Valley Lake System inscribed in the Natural World Heritage list in 2011, is composed of three inter-linked relatively shallow alkaline lakes ? Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita ? and their surrounding territories. The Rift Valley Lake System presents a range of geological and biological features of exceptional natural beauty, including falls, geysers, hot springs, open waters and marshes, forests, and grasslands concentrated in a relatively small area. The natural setting of all three lakes surrounded by the steep escarpment of the Rift Valley and associated volcanic features provides an exceptional experience of nature. The Lake System also illustrates ongoing ecological and biological processes that provide valuable insights into the evolution and the development of soda lake ecosystems and the related communities of plants and animals.
During the next three years SGP will focus on the Lake Bogoria production landscape, in particular the middle and lower parts of the basin, which are critical to the Greater Kudu dispersal corridor and to aquatic ecosystem species diversity. However, the project will also support community-based organizations and networks that cover the entire Lake Bogoria Basin such as the Water Resources Users Association and even a larger area, such as the Baringo County Community Conservancies Association (BCCCA) and the Rift Lakes Conservancies Association (RLCA), given their critical role for replication, up scaling and sustainability. During this operational phase, SGP will also establish the foundation for future work in the Lake Elementaita sanctuary production landscape by strengthening the association of stakeholders in the area ? the Greater Lake Elementaita Conservation Area, and ensuring that it will operate as a multi-stakeholder platform for this landscape.
The proposal proposes to enhance wild animals? corridors and niches to minimize human wildlife conflict within the conservancy. The conservancy is at risk of environmental degradation arising from unsustainable resource exploitation. The challenges will be addressed through community based sustainable biodiversity conservation management approaches. Lake Bogoria Landscape is being recognized internationally in terms of biodiversity and therefore there is need to conserve and regain its originality. The proposal will be implemented in Irong Conservancy. Beneficiaries are Irong registered members and the community in five Locations: Kapkuikui, Loboi, Kaibos Soi, Kaibos and Kamar Locations in Mochongoi and Emining Wards, in Baringo County. The targeted communities are the Tugen and Endorois (minority group). Irong community conservancy since inception has been championing conservation in biodiversity especially protection of the breeding site of the Greater kudus which is an endangered species, which its population has been increasing since the conservancy was started. With more support from the GEF Small grants programme we shall achieve a lot in conservation. This will minimize human wild life conflict.