Understanding Impact

As the world responds the current global health crisis, it is clear that the effects of COVID-19 are far reaching. Notwithstanding the direct health impacts of the virus, the associated economic, social and environmental effects are catastrophic. As a community-led organisation, NRT is seeing the impact of COVID-19 across 42,000 square kilometres of indigenous lands. As we receive stories from the field, we are recording the emergent effects of COVID-19 in the landscape. This insight helps us to understand how our work is supporting communities through this crisis; how we need to adapt to meet new needs; and what community needs are not yet being met.

Impact on Indigenous Communities

Health

While reported cases of COVID-19 in northern Kenya are low, the primary health response has focused on preventative measures including hygiene, social distancing and quarantine. Healthcare services in the remote areas of northern Kenya are extremely sparse. Local clinics have converted nurse’s accommodation to quarantine bays.

Collapse in Tourism

Three decades of community-led biodiversity investment in protection and management of the northern and coastal Kenyan landscape has laid the foundation for wildlife-based tourism to prosper. The tourism revenue received annually by NRT member conservancies is central to funding ongoing conservancy operations, habitat conservation, wildlife security, and livelihoods programs. It provides a much-needed local economy – employing more than 3,600 community members and supporting numerous household enterprises.

Following the implementation of travel restrictions tourism has come to an abrupt halt in this landscape. Most lodges in conservancies have sent staff home on unpaid leave, as the businesses are generating no income. All enterprises which form part of the tourism value chain have either stopped trading or found demand significantly reduced.

Market closures

Markets have been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 related restrictions. Alongside the catastrophic impact on tourism, local markets have also been affected. Livestock and fish markets have been closed which prevents pastoralists and fishermen from converting their livestock and catch into cash. The cash received from these salesis used by many households to buy essential food and household supplies. These markets also play an importantsocial and cultural role as a platform for bringing families and communities together and for sharing information.

Income received by local crafters and beaders from the sale of their goods has ceased, as market outlets and distribution channels have closed. Export markets for produce, cut flowers and goods have closed. This has led to the closure of flower farms in Timau, Laikipia resulting in massive unemployment in the region.

Loss of Employment

Employment has been severely impacted by a damaged economy. Northern Kenya has a generally high rate of unemployment. Those who are fortunate enough to get a job are often responsible for supporting extended families through their salary; consequently, the loss of a single job has a multiplier effect on households.

Most tourism employees have either been sent home on unpaid leave or retrenched. Employees of retail and service enterprises which are reliant on tourism income or the custom of tourism employees have lost revenue, resulting in further job losses. Private ranches reliant on tourism funding have had to reduce staff numbers and implement pay cuts to remaining employees. The closure of the cut flower export market has resulted in 4,000 employees being retrenched just in the Timau region of Laikipia.

For many, working remotely is not an option – either because it is not feasible for the type of job or because employees and companies do not have the technological infrastructure to make it possible. As a result, even in industries where demand is not severely constrained, the ability to work effectively, produce and earn has still been impaired.

UNEMPLOYMENT has rocketed in northern Kenya, as tourism, leisure and retail companies lay off staff and implement pay cuts. One income typically supports several householders, so the impact of one job loss is amplified. — **UNEMPLOYMENT** has rocketed in northern Kenya, as tourism, leisure and retail companies lay off staff and implement pay cuts. One income typically supports several householders, so the impact of one job loss is amplified.

Rising living costs

The cost of transport and goods has risen for many people in Kenya, as businesses face the increased costs of implementing safety compliance measures while facing a drop in demand for services. As public transport vehicles may only operate at 50% of their passenger capacity, ticket fares have doubled. The cost of face masks, which is now mandatory for any person in a public place in Kenya, is also an expense which many households cannot afford.

Degradation of natural resources

As economic stress and ethnic conflicts intensify so does illegal grazing, charcoal burning and wildlife poaching - undoing so much of the hard work of community conservancies over the past few years. Conservation-based benefits to communities, which serve as important incentives for sustainable environmental practices, have been reduced with the loss of tourism.

Lack of access to education

As schools have closed children have been sent home. Not only are they missing important learning time (most community schools and households do not have the capacity for online learning) but many children are not receiving the daily school meal that provides valuable calories and nutrition for poor households.

Children being at home has also placed a greater burden of care on parents who are under pressure to generate livelihoods amidst economic hardship.

Tourism was also a benefactor of many schools and bursary opportunities. Using their tourism dividends, NRT Community Conservancies alone funded 3,077 bursary students in 2019. As a result of the loss of this income these bursaries can no longer be funded.

Loss of aid support

As many NGOs recall staff and halt operations the aid support available to vulnerable communities is drying up. Foreign aid funding has also been impaired as operations have slowed, donations and funding availability reduced, and resources are redirected to support COVID-19 intervention in their home countries. The loss of aid support, for many communities, means basic needs such as water, sanitation, food security, and health care are at risk.

Increased insecurity and social instability

As a result of reduced income, heightened livelihood stress, and decreased government capacity, crime incidents are rising. Increased economic stress on vulnerable communities will lead to increased wildlife poaching (for bushmeat and ivory), particularly if reserves are forced to cut back on security investments. Road banditry, livestock theft and ethnic conflict incidents are all intensifying.

Gender specific impact

Certain COVID-19 impacts are specifically experienced by women and girls. An increase in gender-based violence is being seen as a result of stringent containment procedures. Women face a high risk of contagion due to lack of potable water needed for hygiene measures. Women and girl carry the burden of water collection, as women in rural settings are the water bearers walking for long distances to fetch water. As women are typically marginalised in decision making and access to information, this leaves them with inadequate knowledge to cope with the pandemic effectively.

Lack of access to medical services and food insecurity is experienced by both males and females, but effects are intensified in the case of women, especially during pregnancy, childbirth and nursing.

NRT’s Response

As communities face these hardships NRT and member conservancy operations continue to respond to priority needs within in the landscape, in line with Government directives. Some of the ways in which our work is meeting the emergent needs of our communities are:

Fundraising to help replace lost operational funding from tourism to support continued conservancy operations.
NRT Trading’s Livestock to Market programme is working with the provincial administration and County Covid Committees to design an alternative cattle sale approach which protects health, but still allows pastoralists to bring cattle to a sales point using a weigh scale. This has enabled the sale of 994 cattle and income of US$ 336,682 to pastoralists in the last three months. The NRT SACCO (Savings and Credit Co-operative) has paid dividends which provided cash in hand to 1,700 community members – including 1,020 women - at a time when income is extremely scarce. This has proved a powerful demonstration of the value of previous investments.
NRT and member conservancy operations provide permanent employment for 1,309 people and temporary employment for 2,737 people. This represents 18% of employment benefit in the NRT landscape. Each job supports the employee’s household and extended family. Many of these employees are deployed in community policing, peace and rangeland initiatives which are important pillars of maintaining social stability in the region. Securing the jobs of existing employees is a key priority at this time. NRT is engaging with our funding partners in an effort to replace lost tourism income and continue to fund NRT and Conservancy operations which create this employment.
Working with County Government to raise awareness around prevention measures for COVID-19 by engaging local chiefs, health workers and community households.
Continuing water supply projects to support hygiene and sanitation measures within communities with water scarcity.
Our natural resource programmes are continuing, with some adjustments to approach. Our rangelands team are working in small village-based units to restore and conserve rangelands. Our scouts are deployed 24/7 protecting wildlife and endangered species. Our sanctuaries are protecting endangered species including - rhino, hirola, Rothschild giraffe and elephants.
NRT is funding transmission of daily school lessons on local radio – maths, English and Swahili – which are broadcast across the landscape and provide some learning continuity to community learners during school closures.
NRT’s peace team are activity working to prevent, resolve and de-escalate conflicts, supporting stability.
Scouts and mobile teams continue to provide a critical security presence to secure the area and protect people, livestock and wildlife.
And finally, our Conservancies continue to provide a community-led platform to build resilience and a deep community-natural resource connection.

Staying Connected

At this tumultuous time staying connected with communities is critical. NRT is bringing together key conservancy personnel and county representatives on a weekly basis to ensure we monitor the situation closely and understand its full effect. This has enabled more effective communication in this time of crisis. The NRT Senior Management Team is in contact with member conservancies twice a week. The CEO speaks to conservancy managers, county directors and NRT staff directly in a group call on a weekly basis. These calls are used to share experiences, challenges and solutions among fellow conservancies and to provide support and encouragement to one another.

All NRT departments, programmes and conservancies are reporting on their activities, results and situational information on both a weekly and monthly basis. This is captured in NRT’s M&E and programmatic systems and used to inform management and adaptation decisions.

Looking Ahead

As we approach uncertain times ahead, vulnerable and marginalised communities and community-based institutions will be slow to recover from the extensive effect of COVID-19. Right now, we need to ensure that Conservancy operations continue, community jobs are secured, peace and natural resources are protected, and the most urgent needs of vulnerable people are met, and we are doing everything we can to make this happen.

The community-level impact of COVID-19 in northern and coastal Kenya - insights from NRT.