The integration of sustainable agriculture and landscape management practices in land restoration efforts is crucial in conserving soil and water, promoting biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. This approach also improves livelihoods, enhances ecosystem services, and builds resilience. To achieve this, we conducted thorough assessments, engaged local farmers and other stakeholders, developed context-specific plans, provided training, monitored progress, and foster policy support. This ensures a holistic and sustainable restoration of degraded lands, benefiting both people and the environment, including water resources. It's important for the community to collaborate, contribute, and learn effective environmental management approaches to ensure the project's long-term sustainability and unsustainable agricultural practices.

Some community members had heard of success stories from elsewhere but were pessimistic, considering the unpaying efforts they had already put into restoring the area. Sensitization meetings were conducted regarding the hydrological restoration approach to ensure that the community was adequately included. Through VAJIKI CFA, the community was informed of the upcoming hydrological activity. Through the village heads, 30 communities participated in the hydrological restoration and monitoring training. 

Regular communication with the local community throughout the hydrological restoration project ensured ongoing involvement and support. This engagement helped keep the community informed, addressed their concerns and fostered a sense of ownership over restoration efforts.

This project was initiated against the backdrop of an existing community forest association (VAJIKI) that had expressed interest in the conservation of mangroves. The community had already been engaging in planting mangroves, but in this specific area, attempts had yet to bear fruit. Although no meaningful salt production took place, salt pans had earlier on been excavated in the area, resulting in the clearing of about 10 ha of mangroves. The site had since remained bare due to the extremely high salinity levels that hindered the recovery of mangroves even upon abandonment of salt production. 

Guiding the restoration efforts based on research and ecological principles ensured that the hydrological interventions were scientifically sound and ecologically appropriate. This approach involved applying research findings to address specific challenges related to water flow, salinity, and mangrove health.

During the project, the partners involved were different users of the Vanga mangrove, both directly and indirectly, and all depended on the existence of the forest to accomplish their uses. These include fishermen, beekeepers, dagaa processors, Vanga Blue Forest, researchers, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Forest Service and WWF-Kenya. This was necessary for successful hydrological restoration. This collaboration ensured that resources were shared, efforts were coordinated, and the restoration process benefited from diverse expertise.

Field-based training allowed community members to gain practical involvement and experience in the process of hydrological restoration. The community members to be engaged in the activities were identified through the village heads and VAJIKI CFA officials. Meetings were first held with opinion leaders in the village before extrapolating to the larger community. They then went through training, which was mainly field-based. The community was trained on general mangrove restoration and on how to create a (fishbone) network of channels in the degraded site to facilitate free and almost simultaneous flooding of the area. Hydrological restoration was trained in the field, allowing the community to observe and appreciate the baseline conditions and the modifications that could be made.

The project involved engaging the local community in a baseline survey to assess the hydrological conditions and the appropriate restoration approach. The survey aimed to gather information on water flow, salinity levels and mangrove health, which are necessary for designing effective hydrological restoration strategies.

Effective policy lobbying and advocacy must address the implementation of both existing and newly finalized policies to ensure they meet their intended goals. This involves continuous monitoring to track progress and assess the effectiveness of policy implementation. All partners involved in a program or policy must participate in this ongoing process to ensure alignment with objectives and adapt strategies as needed.

The natural resource sector in Kenya is governed by a complex web of laws and policies that directly impact community lifestyles and livelihoods. However, many community members lack knowledge of these laws, leading to confusion, especially when different government departments enforce contradictory regulations. 

NACOFA has taken on the responsibility of informing and educating communities about the relevant laws that affect them. By doing so, NACOFA helps protect communities from unwarranted actions by government officers. An example is the development and implementation of Participatory Forest Management Plans (PFMPs) and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs). Despite these agreements being signed between KFS and various CFAs, there are instances where KFS fails to honor the commitments, making community awareness critical for accountability.

Stakeholder mapping involves reviewing the diverse interests of stakeholders across various sectors at both local and national levels. This process should be as comprehensive as possible, mapping out existing influence and power structures to determine who to engage directly or indirectly. Prior to stakeholder mapping, a thorough analysis of existing policies is conducted to fully understand the issues and why they matter to the community. This understanding then informs the stakeholder mapping activity, making it clearer who to engage with.

The first step involves identifying local environmental challenges at the community level, such as water shortages, diminishing grazing areas, food scarcity, soil erosion, landslides, or flooding. NACOFA gathers community input on possible solutions and explores the links between these challenges and forest or environmental degradation.

Next, NACOFA studies the existing laws and policies that could address these issues, identifying any gaps, or determining if enhanced implementation or enforcement is needed. This process allows NACOFA to pinpoint the responsible government institutions, key officials, CSOs, partners, and community groups to collaborate with.