Partnership Collaboration, Action Planning and monitoring progress:

A stakeholders workshop was conducted to share assessment results, address questions from the 2nd workshop, and discuss an action plan for mitigating identified negative impacts. Actions, activities, and timelines were discussed for each impact.

 

Based on the collected data, TT successfully engaged donors in funding projects aligned with reducing the negative impacts.

 

To mitigate the Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) negative impact, TT has constructed a 33km Elephant exclusion Fence and 8 additional 10% fences,  reducing HWC by over 80%.

 

To address the lack of water, TT provided 110 dam liners, each with a capacity of 56,000 L, resulting in the harvesting of over 6 million litres of surface run-off water.

 

In support of schools, TT is offering scholarships to 9 students and has constructed and equipped a Science and computer laboratory in a local secondary school.

 

To overcome information barriers, TT established a BULK SMS platform and grievances log to facilitate communication on key issues, ongoing projects, and address grievances between TT and communities.

 

TT is currently developing a SAPA review scheduled for July 2023 to assess the impact and change in perceptions resulting from the implemented interventions in communities.

 

 

 

 

The Tsavo Trust management was very supportive throughout the entire process.

Tsavo Trust contracted experienced consultants who conducted the SAPA process professionally within the set timelines 

The good relationship between Tsavo Trust, Communities and Key Stakeholders made the process a success

Timely availing of project funds from BIOPAMA

During the SAPA process final phase, TT learnt that bringing a wider network of stakeholders had varying benefits. Ensuring there was representation from County Government, like-minded NGOs, Kenya Wildlife Services and Community helped reduce the pressures on TT to deliver and address all the negative impacts identified during the evaluation. All partners who were part of the SAPA process now have a clear picture of the work that TT does and the needs of the Kamungi members. 

Increased Community Involvement

The purpose of the community engagement was to increase partnership and community involvement in the management of the USNFR. This led into achieving conservation goals and also increased benefits to local communities through:

  • Meetings with Village Natural Resources Committees (VNRCs) which resulted in exploration of the means of collaboration, and a way forward in intervening the issues faced by them.
  • Conducting Community Benefits Assessment (CBA) to assess the perceived benefits of the forest reserve by local communities, which revealed that a majority of respondents agree that using the forest reserve brings them benefits.
  • The results of CBA led into the solution to facilitated access to non-timber forest products and social services provided by the USNFR through special permits supervised by VNRCs.
  • Existing structures at the village level such as good village leadership and the VNRCs help in building trust and good relationships with local communities to encourage their participation and support
  • Actors (village leaders, local communities, local government, and TFS) willingness to support the solution
  • Continuous involvement of  the adjacent local communities
  • Meetings with local communities (the VNRCs) were essential to build trust, and means of communication and establish partnerships between them and the USNFR’s management
  • Conducting CBA provided valuable insights into local perceptions of the Joint Forest Management (JFM) and needs in terms of benefits accrued from the USNFR
  • Collaborating with adjacent local communities enhanced project outcomes and increased the means of sustainability
  • Access to Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and social services was an important incentive for local communities to support conservation efforts
Capacity development

Field missions associated with IMET only take a few days to conduct. It is therefore important that the project team be adept at using the IMET prior to the field mission. Building the technical capacity of the team will enable smooth implementation and reduce the risk of overrunning timelines. In our project, we underwent a series of capacity development sessions. During project design, we underwent several online training sessions organised by BIOPAMA. These meetings provided the knowledge and skills needed to conduct the data collection and analysis within a short period of time. Equally important is ensuring that the computers to be used  are up to date in terms of specifications. Thus, capacity development includes technical and logistical aspects of the project.

Trained IMET coaches were on hand to provide support during project design and implementation. In addition, BIOPAMA was flexible enough that they allowed us to upgrade the computer that was used in the assessment. This was important because IMET is a computer based tool that requires advanced computer specifications.

Before implementing IMET, find out the capacity levels of your team. If no one on your team has experience using IMET, reach out to others who do. If you are sourcing funding from a grant scheme, find out from the funder if they have an arrangement with coaches who can support your project or simply include training consulting in your project design.

Community involvement and outreach

Involving people directly in the reef restoration effort and being actively part of the solution is crucial for its overall success. With the help of local dive operators, Reef Renewal Bonaire trains volunteers that participate side-by-side with the staff in day-to-day field activities. Trained divers are pivotal in sharing RRFB’s vision with the wider community and becoming natural ambassadors for reef preservation and restoration. 

Educational programs and tailored experiences are organized for schools, youth groups, local businesses, and authorities aimed at involving them in different levels of restoration efforts, while allowing them to see the results of the project, firsthand. 

Furthermore, located in shallow water, the nurseries and outplanting sites are easily accessible by divers, snorkelers, and surface explorers, becoming an attraction not only to visitors of the islands but also to local community groups.

 

  • A community recognizing the value of coral reefs and caring for their preservation.

  • Dive operators are willing to work together for a common cause, setting aside competitive aspects of the business.

  • Strong support of the local dive operators and overall the local diving community (ie. providing scuba tanks for volunteers).

  • Involve the stakeholders well in advance and methodically gauge their involvement, participation and satisfaction.

  • Find ways to keep the volunteers motivated and engaged.

  • Consider that volunteer coordination takes time and patience.

Key partnerships to share expertise and resources

In June 2019, RRFB started the first larval propagation project in Bonaire in collaboration with SECORE International. The goal of the partnership is to establish a technical cooperation in which RRFB provides local knowledge, manpower, field logistics, and a facility, and shares all field trial results, monitoring data, and qualitative feedback on methodologies and technologies provided by SECORE Int. In return, SECORE Int. provides techniques, methodologies, expertise and training sessions on larval propagation. This partnership's knowledge was crucial for successfully implementing larval propagation techniques in Bonaire. By consistently sharing results and lessons learned, the technique was improved, leading to greater success and scalability for future project replication.

  • The existence of a well developed and effective global network of scientists and practitioners willing to constructively share knowledge. 

  • A formalized partnership with well-defined roles and responsibilities.

  • The opportunity for and committment to scheduling regular virtual and in-person training sessions.

  • Having a shared vision and goals among partners.

  • Importance of scheduling regular meetings with partners before and after each major step of technique implementation to formalize results, feedback and lessons learnt.

Establish nurseries

We established 5 nurseries in the network of opened channels and raised 5600 propagules, mostly red mangroves but also black mangroves. Recently we have studied the white mangroves to assess their importance and have done a pilot on white mangrove propagation. Most of these propagules grew out into healthy saplings and have been outplanted in 5 events. Afterwards, the outplants have been monitored by interns. A successful nursery will increase mangrove plants available for reforestation efforts, emphasizing the need for an ecosystem-based approach to building resilience on the island.

 

  • Volunteers took charge of this part of the restoration work.

  • Propagules availability.

  • Availability and easy access to viable locations for nurseries.

  • Raising black mangroves would not survive prolonged inundation and effective adjustments could be taken.

  • Different seasons allowed for different availability of propagules per species - but propagules of red mangroves were available throughout the year. In the season of the black mangroves, we focused on this species to have a good stock of black mangrove saplings. White mangroves preferred a land bases nursery.

  • Pots and plastic planting bags were used initially. They were expensive and needed additional handling of the saplings. In a later stage, we started to use biodegradable bags that could be left in place when the saplings were planted.

Effective communication

An excellent communication plan/network with different stakeholders was initiated across different levels. From the inception of the project, the community and other stakeholders were constantly capacitated on how the project is going. A relay of relevant vulture conservation and policy issues was achieved to the target stakeholders within the communities and KAZA TFCA.

Through strong relations established, the project implementers were flexible to engage with different stakeholders at different levels. This would include the arrangement of informal meetings and the use of local language to target different audiences. Social media, distribution of communication material and the power of face-to-face meetings enabled the implementer to reach grassroots levels.

Take advantage of social media platforms and share your story and journey with the whole world.

Face-to-face meetings are a powerful tool for effective communication and enable the project implementers to relay the relevant vulture conservation and policy issues to the target stakeholders within the KAZA TFCA.

Restore water circulation in the mangrove forest.

The water in the mangrove forest needs to refresh and be of good quality (salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH) in order for the mangroves and the organisms that are part of the mangrove habitat to flourish, like fish, sponges, anemones and mangrove oysters. The force behind the water circulation is the tidal flow; there is no river feeding the mangroves. The water moves through the roots as sheet flow, the channels and the lagoons. The growth of roots and accumulation of sediments reduce the capacity of the system to bring water in a timely fashion to all parts of the mangrove forest - especially the part farthest removed from the open ocean is most under stress.

 

  • Knowledge from fishermen helped locate the historical channels.

  • Hydrological studies executed before and during the execution of the project helped decision-making on priority channels, setting their dimensions.

  • A good group of volunteers was able to assist in the work that was executed manually.

  • Use of mechanical equipment was not possible.
Implementation and fine-tuning of technologies and methods to propagate corals

Larval propagation is a restoration method that assists coral sexual reproduction to increase the genetic diversity of corals. This technique can be used with numerous coral species and morphologies and, because of the large production of gametes during spawning events, it has the potential to scale up the number of outplanted corals on the reef. RRFB uses innovative technologies to reduce the labor, and handling time and increase the survivorship of coral larvae at large scales. After assisting fertilization, recently formed embryos are poured into floating pools (CRIB, Coral rearing in-situ Basin) designed by SECORE Int., where larvae settlement is facilitated on specially designed substrates which are then outplanted on the reef.  

  • The presence of healthy spawning coral colonies in Bonaire provides gametes to kick-start larval propagation. 

  • The establishment of a strong partnership with SECORE International with a shared vision for coral reef restoration.

  • The support from the local diving community.

  • The involvement of a strong team of motivated and committed people.

  • The support from the local government and the non-governmental organization of STINAPA, allowing the restoration activities to take place within Bonaire National Marine Park boundaries.

  • Begin implementing techniques on a small scale to account for varying local environmental conditions and find the most suitable locations for application

  • Set-up first trials using predictable and “easy to work with” coral species

  • Adapt larval propagation techniques to local conditions, resources availability and priorities

Partnerships between key local actors and multi-sectorial, transboundary collaborations

The achieved results relied heavily on the collaboration and cooperation partnerships among various stakeholders, including government agencies, conservation organizations, scientists, and local communities. Collaboration with the Ministries/Government departments was key in sensitizing the communities on issues around human-wildlife conflict and suggested environmentally friendly ways to mitigate the conflict. The scientists were there to collect information related to wildlife poisoning and give feedback to the government ministries. The communities were the key stakeholder since they are the sole custodians of the environment.

The implementers connected with local communities was that we were already working with communities on some other projects, so this enabled our relations to be strengthened. By involving communities in decision-making, they were able to identify some stakeholders with whom we collaborated to share skills, knowledge, and experiences resulting in the project's success. The transboundary collaboration enabled the implementers to focus on tackling vulture poisoning across three countries separately but fighting for the same cause.

Partnering with other organizations trying to achieve the same goal makes the implementation of project results much easier and quicker without a scenario of duplicating the work on the ground. Ideas and possible solutions to a problem can be freely shared resulting in problems being addressed holistically.