Kenya - Watershed Services Improvement Project

Overview & Synopsis

Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project for Kenya has the development objectives to expand the area under sustainable land and watershed management and to improve livelihoods of communities in the project areas. Component 1: Roots of Resilience: Policy, Legal, and Regulatory Framework strengthens the foundation for programmatic and sustained investments in sustainable land and water management by enhancing policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and informed decision-making. Sub-components include Sub-component 1a, which strengthens watershed management institutions and governance by supporting implementation of national restoration strategies, preparing integrated landscape and watershed management plans aligned with county plans, building capacity of county committees, developing local guidelines and investment prioritization tools, reviewing and updating forestry and related regulations, and preparing a Community Grants Manual; Sub-component 1b, which develops and rolls out an integrated watershed and landscape restoration monitoring system through an integrated data-sharing framework, information and communication technology upgrades, laboratory and field equipment, and knowledge management and capacity building at national, county, and community levels; and Sub-component 1c, which establishes sustainable financing mechanisms and investments for watersheds and landscapes, including development of a national Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) framework, design of benefit-sharing schemes, and incentives and award programs to recognize and scale good practices. Component 2: Green Horizons: Sustainable Landscape and Watershed Management restores and manages degraded landscapes in selected hydrosheds using participatory planning, integrated watershed management plans, and a data-driven investment prioritization tool, while building resilient and diversified livelihoods, with a focus on vulnerable communities. Sub-components include Sub-component 2a, which supports sustainable landscape and watershed management on private and community lands through soil and water conservation measures, small-scale water harvesting, gully rehabilitation, restoration of green corridors for ecological connectivity, area closures with assisted natural regeneration, establishment of woodlots, agroforestry and value addition for high-value tree crops and gums and resins, enrichment of degraded pastures and rangelands, control and management of invasive species, and dedicated grants for minority and marginalized groups to restore natural resource bases and develop enterprises; and Sub-component 2b, which restores gazetted forests by enhancing seed collection, testing, and distribution, expanding nursery capacity and planting for reforestation and natural regeneration, strengthening pest and disease management systems, improving fire surveillance, preparedness and response, controlling invasive species, mapping investment opportunities, and piloting private sector engagement in selected forest blocks. Component 3: Project Management, Training, and Capacity Building consolidates planning, budgeting, implementation, fiduciary management, environmental and social standards compliance, and reporting, and finances the establishment and operation of national and county project structures, monitoring and evaluation, procurement of vehicles and equipment, and targeted capacity building for project staff on procurement, budgeting, reporting, and activity monitoring.