Fund secures Sh231m for restoring Lake Naivasha basin ecosystem
Crescent island in Naivasha.
The National Environment Trust Fund (Netfund) has secured $1.78 million (Sh230.85 million) from the Global Environment Facility to restore forest ecosystems and reduce land degradation in the Lake Naivasha Basin Ecosystem.
Focusing on key zones in the basin, including Eburru, Mau Narok, and Kereita forest, the three-year programme – named Lake Naivasha Basin Ecosystem-Based Management Project – will facilitate the restoration of catchment and riparian lands.
“Restoration of this ecosystem and landscape is important to our economy and posterity. We thank the government and development partners for their support,” said Netfund Chief Executive Samson Toniok.
Mr Michael Okok, the project manager, said his team is looking forward to working with stakeholders in the basin.
“We will mobilise the government, private sector, civil society and community actors towards a coordinated approach to conserving and managing this basin,” he said, adding that the project would support a basin-wide plan and ensure resources are mobilised.
The programme aims to enhance the protection of water resources, biodiversity and associated ecosystem services to support the local and national economies, Mr Okok said.
Rising water levels in Lake Naivasha.
He said the project, which will be launched on April 14, 2025, will see the restoration of the catchment of Lake Naivasha as well as the riparian areas of the lake to enhance protection of its water resources, biodiversity, and associated ecosystem services.
It will also support the local and national economy while strategically contributing to President William Ruto’s ambitious pledge to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, a cornerstone of his climate action agenda.
It is supported under the 7th Cycle (GEF-7) of the Global Environment Facility through WWF-US as the mandated GEF agency.
It is also backed by government funding and international partners as in-kind contribution to co-finance the project which has already been mobilized by Netfund and its partners.
“Lake Naivasha is a vital freshwater source for agriculture and tourism and a designated wetland of international importance. It hosts hippos, flamingos, and fisheries and is a crucial tourist destination, with the global World Safari Rally Championship (WRC) being held in the area annually. However, this national treasure is seriously challenged by degradation, water pollution and loss of biodiversity, resulting in a reduction in the provision of ecosystem services,” Mr Okok added.
Under the project implementation design, Netfund will be responsible for executing the project through key technical partners charged with the direct implementation of the project. These partners include: the county governments of Nakuru and Nyandarua, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, the Kenya Forest Service and various community groups.
Wildlife in Lake Naivasha in Nakuru County.
As the main fund for the environment in Kenya, NETFUND is mandated to mobilise resources for environmental conservation and management in the country.
The Fund has lately been engaged in robust resource mobilisation efforts to restore and rehabilitate major forest ecosystems and landscapes in the country, including the Cherangany Forest Ecosystem, the Kakamega Forest Ecosystem, Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem, among others.
