enV- Community Conservancy Policy Support and Implementation

General

(Kenya): Kenya's conservancies geographical areas are growing every year with private conservancies make up more than 3 million hectares. However, these conservancies face policy and institutional barriers to effectively carrying out their biodiversity conservation and sustainable-development mandates. The Community Conservancy Policy Support and Implementation activity seeks to address policy barriers inhibiting development of conservancies by promoting a supportive legal environment that encourages sustainable and beneficial conservation. This activity undertakes in-depth analyses of the range of policies and regulations that are necessary, applicable, and relevant for effective and sustainable conservancy operations based on secure land tenure. Then it develops an implementation strategy and action plan for all of the priority policies and regulations identified in the initial analysis. The focus has been on laws, policies, and regulations that pertain to biodiversity, wildlife, land, water, human rights, gender, law enforcement, and devolution within the context of the Community Conservancy model which is USAID/Kenya's flagship biodiversity conservation program. The Nature Conservancy, is the premiere organization in Kenya dedicated working in the area of conservancy policy to help Kenya build resilient human and natural communities that are better equipped to adapt to an uncertain future that includes drought, economic shocks, and political change. FY 2018 funding will support completion of the Community Land Act, 2016 Regulations; Implementation of the Regulations under the Wildlife Management and Conservation Act 2013; and Organizational Capacity Assessment of Kenya Wildlife Conservancy Association (KWCA) and systems strengthening. These interventions support U.S. priorities through inclusive and sustainable development, law enforcement, and ecotourism. This helps create an investment opportunity for U.S. businesses and a tourist destination for Americans