About Component 4

Component 4 “Science to Inform Design of Community-level Actions and Policy Decisions”; Evidence-based identification and targeting of interventions and policy decisions is one of the four components of the larger “WaTER Programme” . In this document, component 4 is also referred to as the Project.

Like the Programme, the overall objective of Component 4 is to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods by applying scientific principles to inform design of community level actions and national policy decisions on rehabilitation and conservation in Cherangany and Mt. Elgon water towers.The aim of the project is to generate and provide scientific data and information for decision making in management of the two ecosystems and similar areas in the country.

Due to the crucial role played by the forested landscapes in provision of ecosystem products and services, their degradation is a threat to adjacent forest communities and beneficiaries further downstream who totally depend on the forested landscapes. In order to reverse the current situation by rehabilitating and restoring the two degraded ecosystems, the European Union through its European Development Fund (EDF) funded the initiative (component 4), whose total cost is 5,000,000.00 Euros with the EU contributing 100% of the action. The project implementation period is 60 months (five years) starting from 15th September 2015 to 14th September 2020. The funds release date was 11th November 2015 which did not correspond with the start date of implementation of the action (project). This led to a slight delay in the start of implementation of the project.

However, the Beneficiary (KEFRI) is committed and has developed structures at the institution level – both at the headquarters and the two regions, LVBER and RVER, to ensure proper management of the action. This ensures that monitoring and evaluation is consistently done at both levels. In addition, decisions are made through consultative and participatory processes by all project staff and KEFRI staff working in the project and the institute’s core management.

Further, during the initial stages of the project, a five-year work plan and budgets for the entire project were developed, including specific regional annual work plans and budgets for activities to be implemented by Cherangany and Mt. Elgon regional offices. To ensure that there was a buy-in from the target groups and stakeholders, an inception workshop and field visits were held on 11th and 12th February 2016 in Kisumu and adjacent areas where KEFRI undertakes research and development activities. Other sensitization activities at both regions were held in May 2016 followed by the proper implementation of Project activities in both water towers.

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