Knowledge Based Sustainable Land Use Management: A Case of Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management in Agro-Pastoral Production Systems of Kenya project.

Abstract

Land degradation in Arid and Semi – Arid Lands (ASALs) is a potential precursor to widespread desertification and is linked to various human induced factors as a result of poor land use and management practices.  These factors include; inappropriate development models, unsustainable farming practices, reduced livestock mobility and over-exploitation of available pastures, high population growth encroaching on wet- season grazing areas for pastoralists as well as encroachment of agriculture into marginal land.  In addition, the increasing demand to fuel wood charcoal and timber has led to loss of forest covers aggravating land degradation. These man- made crisis coupled with the devastating impacts of climate change has further undermined the lives and livelihood of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities rendering them perpetual dependents on famine relief. The ASALs of Kenya are characterized by hot and dry climate, fragile ecology, low and erratic rainfall (arid: -450mm/yr and semi-arid 500-850mm/yr) and are most vulnerable to droughts and floods (Miriti et al. 2012; McCown and Jones 1992). The paper highlights and synthesizes findings from a review of the project that has addressed the challenges of sustainable land management using two approaches; firstly it supports review of policies related to sustainable land management and mainstreaming SLM in all national planning process, secondly, the project supports implementation of sustainable land  use in the pilot sub counties (Mbeere North, Kyuso, Dadaab and Narok North) of Kenya using Farmer/Pastoral  Field School (F/PFS) methodology. The local communities in the pilot sub counties are trained and supported to adopt various SLM practices and lessons learnt from these counties will be used to upscale in other ASALs areas.

Keywords: Sustainable land use, farmer field school, communities, Arid and Semi- Arid areas, degradation