The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya (WWF-Kenya) have entered a five-year partnership agreement to strengthen collaboration and boost nature conservation impact for the benefit of citizens.
Leveraging on over half a century of combined experience and expertise, the coalition plans to accelerate the delivery of biodiversity and socio-economic outcomes that will ensure communities reap more benefits from conservation, find nature-based solutions to enhance human-wildlife coexistence, and curb wildlife crime.
The Memorandum of Understanding convenes the different and complementary skill sets from the partners in collaboration to fundraise, develop, and implement projects that will improve community livelihoods, enhance habitat connectivity, and promote sustainable development.
Speaking on Thursday during the signing ceremony in Nairobi, IFAW Africa Director James Isiche emphasised the need for strong alliances to address the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss that are already devastating communities in the country.
“Over the next five years, the partnership will enhance deeper community engagement interventions to secure connectivity of large landscapes and build climate resilience,” Isiche said.
“I am thrilled about this partnership because it strengthens cooperation in conservation to drive tangible benefits for communities and safeguard connected landscapes,” he added.
WWF-Kenya CEO Mohamed Awer reiterated that the tripartite collaboration is not only timely but also a huge opportunity to achieve greater impact.
“Here in Kenya, we recognise that our national development is linked to the health of our environment. We cannot ignore this truth, because if our ecosystems collapse, so will our economy and our society,” Awer cautioned, adding that it is a symbiotic relationship that demands harmony and a sustainable alignment of the people, planet, and profit.
Awer said that achieving this requires more than just ambition since the endeavour demands transformative partnerships and climate action investment for a greater impact.
He noted that an inclusive approach to conservation provides an opportunity to ensure that communities have access to their rights and ownership of natural resources by integrating indigenous knowledge and developing sustainable finance mechanisms.
Government Relations and Policy Director-TNC Kenya Munira Bashir argued that Kenyans will be better equipped to counter threats to natural resources through training and mentorship.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organisation dedicated to conserving the landmass and waters on which all life depends. They are involved in tackling climate change, ensuring sustainable use of natural resources, and helping make cities sustainable.
IFAW is a global non-profit that helps animals and people thrive together by rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing animals back into the wild, thereby restoring their natural habitats.
The World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya (WWF-Kenya), on the other hand, is an independent, locally registered non-governmental conservation organisation that collaborates with communities, the government, civil society, and the private sector to create a healthy natural environment supporting people and sustainable development in Kenya.
By Sharon Atieno
