From Ridge to Reef - A legacy for sustainable coastal development in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya Coastal development Project (KCDP) is the first project that was implemented through a multi-sectoral multi-institutional approach at the Kenya Coast. The project brought together seven Government of Kenya institutions to address coastal issues under their various sectoral mandates. The project was housed at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI). Partner agencies included the State Department of Fisheries (SDF) now known as the Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS), the Development Authority (CDA), the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the Department of Physical Planning (DPP). Coming together under one project was a unique experience and it is the lessons learnt in the different facets of KCDP shared in this book. The aim of producing a book on KCDP is to capture the development processes of the Project; to consolidate the outputs, into a single reference resource for current and future use to outline less on s learnt, which can be used in the design and implementation of national and regional development projects; to provide policy guidelines in areas that are critical for coastal development; and lastly to provide opportunities for the involvement of the local coastal communities in the management of natural resources as well as the provision of community services. from a ridge to reef perspective. The book is structured into four parts, with three of the parts based on the project components and the last part providing a synthesis of key lessons learnt in this multi-disciplinary project. The ridge aspects cover aspects of natural resource management on land and coastal lakes while the reef aspects cover the utilization and management of underwater resources. The integration of coastal communities and institutions also form an integral part of the KCDP book. Further, the book provides excerpts of success stories and challenges encountered in the implementation of Community Driven Development (CDD) approach applied by (HMP), especially community participation, perception and barriers. The target audiences for this work are National Government agencies and County Institutions of academia, research, management and development as well as donor agencies with an interest in investing in coastal development. Communities living in the coastal areas of Kenya are among those lacking adequate basic needs in the country; ranging from underdeveloped health facilities, poor access to water and sanitation services, lack of multiple alternative livelihood sources, low household income among others. Growing populations, coupled with weak policy and regulatory environment, lead to unsustainable use of natural resources, which has diverse impacts on the coastal environment. The resulting deterioration of the natural resource base further aggravates the vicious cycle of poverty and decline in environmental quality. Long-term neglect, resource overuse, and poor management and planning have a negative impact on the coastal environment. Lack of protection of fragile coral reefs inappropriate land use, and poor spatial planning have over time severely degraded the coastal ecosystem and its resources. Poor sewage and solid waste management generated by the increasing populations including tourists affect the natural resources in sensitive marine habitats may further affect the resource base. natural resources do not fully accrue to coastal residents or the national economy. to low-tech artisanal methods along the fringing coral reefs. Deeper ocean waters that are home to higher value species such as tuna are not easily accessible for To reverse the degradation of natural resources and to shift resource use to a more sustainable pattern requires re-thinking of a new approach to the coastal area to new areas, particularly in the deeper areas currently under-exploited by artisanal understanding of land capability and land use planning to guide investments, infrastructure and technology improvements focusing on promoting value addition from coastal resources. Such an approach will require a focus on the ridge to reef aspects of the coast and this is what KCDP investments set out to do. KCDP used a landscape approach to transform ecosystems and livelihoods. Projects (ridge) interventions were designed to improve natural resource management through the documentation of biodiversity, wood lot farming, enhancement of management effectiveness, habitat restoration, environmental governance, and spatial planning. management regimes, aquaculture and mariculture investments as well as support assistance to communities and micro/small businesses through the community-driven (HMP). This book highlights how this component of the project gave a voice to the communities and empowered them, including capacity building. The ridge to reef approach of KCDP was supported by various levels of collaboration: collaboration across agencies, and between agencies and communities. The interventions. It provides insights into processes of involving the local coastal communities in the management of natural resources and provision of community services. Furthermore, KCDP provided a solid platform from which several on-going interventions have been designed.