It is always a pleasure visiting the many amazing nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in Kenya, all working towards a common cause, a better world for not only us but our fellow animals and plants. Not only do these moments provide opportunities to learn, but to build connections and most importantly instills the motivation needed to act!
One such organisation is Oceans Alive, situated in the small town of Vipingo in Kenya. The organisation, although recently established, is made up of a team with over 30 years of experience. The organisation supports the Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Community Based Organisation (KCW-CBO), which was founded in 2003 by the same individuals that started Oceans Alive. KCW-CBO is the FIRST Locally Managed Marine Area and community conservation area in the Western Indian Ocean. Seventeen years on, there are nearly 30 of these Locally Managed Marine Areas, most of which were influenced by the efforts of KCW-CBO. These locally managed areas now cover 100km2 of coastline and in 2017, KCW-CBO was awarded the UNDP Equator Prize for excellence in community-initiated sustainable development.
What is a Locally Managed Marine Area and why are they vital for marine conservation?
A Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) is when a local community works together to protect and sustainably manage their marine livelihood resources. This can be in collaboration with local landowners, NGOs and/or the local government. An LMMA differs from a Marine Protected Area (MPA), in that LMMAs are distinguished by local ownership, whereas MPAs are often under the management of the government and in many cases, have very limited local input.
LMMAs allow coastal communities to manage their resources, whether this is conserving fisheries or seeking alternative sources of income. There has been a strong shift towards this type of co-management in marine conservation, recognizing the rights of local coastal communities to manage their own resources. This gives communities the opportunity to be active participants in local conservation, in simple terms, ‘giving the power back to the people’ instead of the ‘old ways’ of conservation which often dismissed local involvement and knowledge, favouring a more top-down approach.
In recent years, Kenya has seen a rapid increase in LMMAs. The first LMMAs was in the 1990s, these being community-managed mangrove boardwalks, which provided protection to mangroves and income through eco-tourism. The first coral reef based LMMA was initiated by KCW-CBO, this has since grown and has shown to be incredibly successful. However, this has not been without its challenges, the biggest challenges with all LMMAs are community participation, engagement and empowerment. These challenges are often influenced by several factors such as trust, access to long term funding and education. LMMAs and similar community-based projects, in my opinion, is the future of conservation and vital for its success and no matter the challenges, local communities should always be active participants in local conservation, not only because it is the right thing to do but also to ensure both success and longevity. Finally, we cannot dismiss the importance of local knowledge, something that cannot be taught in a classroom.
However, these initiatives are often time-consuming and the most challenging. This in turn often ‘scares’ conservationists away, not wanting to take on such projects, knowing the difficulties that lay ahead. Unfortunately, many community-focused initiatives often fail or never really successfully ‘kick-off’. This is what makes the KCW-CBO so unique, having successfully set up several LMMAs along the Kenyan Coast. It is both KWC-CBO and Oceans Alive that have helped make this successful and I was excited to visit both projects to learn firsthand why, unlike so many, they had been so successful in creating so many LMMAs in the area.
Well done kelly. You have made this so interesting and readable. Certainly so to grandmas living back here in the uk!