The National Government of Kenya declared the drought a national disaster on 8th September 2021 (https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001422964/president-uhuru-declares-drought-a-national-disaster). The drought condition is dire and worsening in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) including our conservation sites in Garissa County. Garissa county received no rainfall in August and an average of 3.1mm in July which is below the…
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The impacts COVID-19 have seen conservation areas operate at lower intensities due to; (i) budget and staff cuts that have reduced their management effectiveness, (ii) diminished functional capacities as a result of reducing vital management services e.g. ranger patrols, and (iii) disruption of livelihoods that have led to increased poaching incidents, illegal logging activities, and…
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In Garissa, local pastoral communities share the same landscape and resources with carnivores. However, a frequent drought that diminishes the available resources threatens the co-existence of the communities and carnivores. Currently, the short rains from October to November have failed in our conservation areas. This has heightened the human-carnivore conflicts as carnivores including lions, spotted…
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If you consume meat-based foods in the local hotels within Garissa and the region along the Kenya-Somalia border, there is a high chance you might have unintentionally eaten bushmeat. Particularly giraffes that for unknown reasons have been the target for the bushmeat trade. This illegal enterprise is purported to be very lucrative for instance,…
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