MELAKO COMMUNITY CONSERVANCY

Background

Recognising the real development opportunities presented by wildlife conservation and tourism in their area, the Rendille community approached the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy for assistance in developing their own wildlife conservation initiative. In September 2004, they formed Melako Community Conservancy (Merille, Laisamis and Koiya), which is considered the pioneering northern frontier of conservation in this part of Kenya and is an integral part of the emerging network of community conservancies under the Northern Rangelands Trust.

The overall goal of the Melako Conservancy is to develop a successful community conservation initiative with the aim of conserving and increasing viable populations of Grevy’s zebra and other wildlife, and to enhance the capacity of local Rendille communities in the area to benefit from the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The establishment of the conservancy has resulted in the increased protection of wildlife in the area as well as providing security for Rendille communities against livestock theft and historical ethnic rivalries with neighbouring communities.

Species Conservation

Melako hosts an estimated population of 200 Grevy’s zebra representing approximately 9% of the global population. This population is relatively unknown and under pressure from poaching and competition with livestock. The conservancy aims to improve conservation efforts for this species through enhancing species protection and monitoring, raising awareness, and increasing the capacity of its community members to develop an integrated livestock-wildlife management plan. The conservancy also hosts buffalo, giraffe, elephant, hyena, leopard, lion, cheetah, gerenuk and large numbers of Sandgrouse.
The conservancy has a total security workforce of 21 scouts who have been trained in wildlife monitoring techniques, as well as ensuring that incidents of cattle rustling, banditry attacks and other security issues are addressed .The scout team conducts rigorous anti-poaching patrols in this regard, and has been successful in arresting several poachers and confiscating ivory. The scouts also respond quickly to instances of human-wildlife conflicts.

The Grevy’s Zebra Trust

The Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) was established to conserve Grevy’s zebra in collaboration with local communities. It recognises and supports the critical role played by pastoral people whose livelihoods are inextricably linked to the same fragile ecosystem. The Grevy’s zebra has undergone a catastrophic decline in the past 30 years and now only occurs in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian population is less than 100 and still declining, whereas in Kenya the population is believed to be 2,500 and stable, largely as a result of the establishment of the NRT community conservancies and grass roots awareness campaigns. GZT works closely with NRT and the community conservancies in collaborative conservations efforts, including Grevy’s zebra research and monitoring, habitat restoration, improving resource access, disease mitigation, and awareness creation. Management actions that are taken to help Grevy’s zebra also help other endangered, threatened and migratory species including African elephants, African wild dogs and cheetahs. Find out more at www.grevyszebratrust.org

Business Development

For many years, this area was not viable for tourism due to insecurity. With the establishment of the conservancy in 2004, security for both wildlife and people has improved significantly. Melako now hosts a very successful game bird hunting operation in conjunction with a private tourism operator and the Kenya Wildlife Service. The area is renowned for its spectacles of Sandgrouse that flock in the thousands around various water points within the conservancy. Through a shooting fee and conservation fee charged to guests on per person per day basis, the conservancy receives income from the operation that is split with 60 per cent going towards community projects and 40 per cent going towards funding annual operating costs of the conservancy. Game bird shooting has potential to expand its operations within the conservancy and may provide significant revenue to the conservancy and communities in the future. In fact, bird shooting has catalysed the development of mobile camping safaris, thus increasing the conservancy’s income. Plans are therefore underway to develop more permanent camping structures in this regard.

Women’s groups in Melako are involved in the production and sale of handicrafts through NRT Trading. In 2008, six women’s groups in Melako attended formal business training sessions facilitated by NRT Trading on topics ranging from product development, basic accounting, pricing structures and leadership skills. Through the support of ICEP, a micro-credit program gave women access to micro-loans to support business development, product diversification and purchasing raw materials. Moreover, this income ameliorates their standards of living, such as assisting them in paying school fees for their children, thus promoting education. The sale of these handicrafts provides an alternative source of income for these livestock-dependent communities.

The Future of Il Ngwesi

• Establish and demarcate a core conservation area;
• Establish binding grazing bylaws ;
• Explore additional tourism development opportunities;
• Enhance radio communication to ameliorate security operations;
• Create long lasting sustainable water pans and sand dams near wildlife grazing areas;
• Improve staff housing;
• Continue to support community enterprise development initiatives.