By Bob Aston
Laikipia County is among the richest
in biodiversity in the county. The reason for its high biodiversity is the
extent of the area of conservation, its varied topography and its geographical
setting which straddles several ecological zones.
According to the Laikipia Wildlife
Conservation strategy for 2012-2030, the county contains a great diversity of
plants and animals. A preliminary species inventory done by Laikipia Wildlife
Forum (LWF) indicates the county has 540 species of birds, 95 species of
mammals, 87 species of reptiles and amphibians, almost 1000 invertebrates and
over 700 species of plants.
The county has broadly six (6)
different types of habitats that include; Grassland and open woodland, acacia-cammiphora
woodland, upland dry forests, evergreen bushland, rivers and wetland and scarps
and kopjes.
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| Reafforestation done in one of the forests in Laikipia |
Grassland and open woodland covers
more than half of Laikipia, Acacia-Commiphora woodland occurs in the dry
central and northern part of Laikipia, Upland Dry Forests contains the greatest
diversity of species in the county, Evergreen bushland covers large areas of
south central and West Laikipia, rivers and wetlands which used to dominate the
county are now rare, Scarps and Kopjes provide sanctuary for higly diverse are
relatively rare plant communities.
As population increases ecosystems
are being rapidly altered and the county is undergoing a massive loss of
biodiversity. Some of the issues posing a threat to the biodiversity include;
loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat, the spread of invasive species,
unsustainable use of natural resources, climate change, inappropriate fire
regimes, escalating poverty and conflicts, changes to the aquatic environment
and water flows and poor education and inadequate involvement of the community.
Uncontrolled use and exploitation of
some of Laikipia habitats has had an overwhelming impact as indigenous forest
cover within the forest reserves of South –West Laikipia (Marmanet, Lariak, Ol
Arabel, Rumuruti and Uaso Narok) has reduced considerably.
Through the conservation of
biodiversity the survival of many species and habitats which are threatened due
to human activities can be ensured. In order to secure valuable natural
resources for future generations and protecting the well being of eco-system
functions, a pro active approach that incorporates public participation needs
to be established.
Community based Natural Resources
Management (NRM) association like Water Resource Users Association (WRUA) and
Community Forest Association (CFA) have been instrumental in the county in
water resource management at sub catchment level and conservation of forests
respectively.
Integrating conservation into farming
practices will help preserve biodiversity as well as improve the livelihood of
farmers.
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| Men enjoying the beauty of the county |
The Laikipia Wildlife Conservation
strategy for 2012-2030 indicates that by 2030 appropriate management action
will have been taken to maintain or enhance areas of natural habitat that are
currently vulnerable and in decline.
According to the Kenya National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), deliberate measures are
currently being put in place to fulfill the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
2011-2020, including Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The NBSAP Action Plan was developed
to facilitate the achievement of the national vision and aspirations. It
describes issues that threaten biodiversity and what needs to be done, how it
would be done, and the time-frame in which it should be done.
The Aichi Biodiversity Targets aims
to provide an overarching framework on biodiversity, not only for the
biodiversity-related conventions, but for the entire United Nations system and
all other partners engaged in biodiversity management and policy development.
Globally the value of biodiversity as
a key component of the environment was recognized during the buildup to the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. During that occasion, Kenya endorsed and adopted Agenda 21,
and also signed the Convention on Biological Diversity' (CBD).
Climate change is increasingly
contributing to biodiversity degradation. Actions that are currently being
taken by different stakeholders will help to mitigate the
effects of climate change consequently preserving biodiversity.
Biodiversity is extremely important
as it is required to satisfy basic needs like food, drinking water, fuel,
shelter and medicine. Biodiversity helps in; maintenance of water cycles,
regulation of climate, photosynthetic fixation, protection of soil, storage and
cycling of essential nutrients, as well as absorption and breakdown of
pollutants. .
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