18 SWARA JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 ike the supporting keystone of an droughts associated with climate change arch linking Amboseli and the greater Underground water from the Chyulus supply Tsavo ecosystem, the Chyulu Hills -- local communities, plus Umani and Ol Pusare, in conservation terms-- are a critical and Mzima Springs provide 30 per cent or more Lcorridor. of the water for Mombasa. Not only is the water Chris Tuite is REDD+ Rising from about 3,000 feet to 6,000 feet, volume significant to local communities and and conservation adviser to Maasai Wilderness older volcanic summits are covered in a rich Mombasa, all currently suffering water deficits, Conservation Trust. He green cloud forest, in stark contrast to the but it is also of exceptional quality. The potential did his Ph.D on lesser semi-arid grasslands and Acacia commiphora consequences of losing this water would be flamingos in the seventies, partially funded by woodlands around their base, stretching west to significant for the whole of south-eastern Kenya. EAWLS. Amboseli and east across Tsavo. Almost every Yet, currently, Mombasa pays absolutely nothing night, the hills seem to reach out and grasp the towards protecting this crucial water lifeline. clouds that shroud their tops until dissipated by Over the past 50 years, Kenya has seen the morning sun. Because the porous hills do not significant declines in wildlife populations and hold water, many plant species adapted ways to habitat, a consequence of a human population BELOW: Zebras Grazing with secure moisture from these clouds. that has grown from around 14 million in 1970 to Chyulu The forests are home to a completely different about 47 million today (a 335 per cent increase). Hills in assemblage of trees, insects, birds and mammals, In spite of this, Kenya still boasts some of the background. while the slopes below create an important finest wildlife areas in the world. In addition to vegetation gradient where wildlife and livestock their intrinsic values of biodiversity; providing graze during dry seasons. healthy links to nature, and supplying critical Underground streams that form beneath benefits such as water and climate mitigation, the Chyulus are vital in a vast area of dry Kenya’s wildlife areas draw millions of tourists country where water is at a premium, and One attraction is Mzima Springs, where visitors will become even more so with intensifying can watch hippos underwater via a bunker with JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 SWARA 19 a glass window. During the 2009 drought, hippo Map showing Although the Chyulus may look modest, died when other wildlife and cows competed for location of Chyulu especially against the backdrop of their volcanic grass along the shores. The hippo population Hills landscape cousin, Kilimanjaro, they play a giant role in has begun to recover, but despite record rains and REDD+ Project maintaining a larger conservation landscape, of 2018, the water that percolates through the area forming a protecting biodiversity, contributing to Kenya’s Chyulus may spend 25 years underground before critical corridor ecotourism,,and as a critical water resource. emerging at Mzima. between Amboseli What are the challenges and opportunities for Tourism is the third biggest contributor and Greater Tsavo. protecting the Chyulus? to Kenya’s GDP, after agriculture and Also shown is the As with any conservation initiative, questions manufacturing. contributeing $2.5 billion to GDP water pipeline from include how to pay for protecting the natural in 2016. With the decline in habitat, including Mzima to resources, how to use them sustainably, and how Nairobi National Park, remaining wildlife areas Mombasa. to maintain an integrated strategy across a range become even more economically valuable and of stakeholders. ecologically important. The Chyulu landscape has six major land Conservation is more effective when large-scale owners with legal tenure: Kenya Wildlife Service wilderness areas are protected, especially where (Chyulu Hills and Tsavo West National Parks), large mammals range over wide areas. Currently, Kenya Forest Service (Kibwezi Forest Reserve) only three large-scale wilderness areas remain and four Maasai Group ranches on the western in Kenya: the Northern Rangelands; the Mara as side (Kuku, Kuku A, Rombo, Imbirikani). part of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem; and the Additionally, land east of the Chyulus is Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem. individually owned, mainly by Wakamba farmers. Three NGOs support conservation programmes CONSERVATION IS MORE EFFECTIVE on behalf of the land owners: David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which leases the Kibwezi Forest WHEN LARGE-SCALE WILDERNESS reserve; Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust AREAS ARE PROTECTED, ESPECIALLY (MWCT), and Big Life Foundation that work with the four group ranches. One of the challenges is WHERE LARGE MAMMALS RANGE building collaboration across these entities so OVER WIDE AREAS. that programmes are integrated. 20 SWARA JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 Wildlife Wildlife densities are low, and animals tend UNPREDICTABLE FUNDING Chyulu is a vital to be skittish because of heavy poaching. Within Kenya, conservation is dependent on corridor for animals Some of the animals you might see are: a combination of ecotourism, development that live in Tsavo eland, klipspringer, giraffe, zebra, baboon and funding, or philanthropy. Unfortunately, all these and Amboseli. The Sykes© monkey. Other big game that pass park shelters a wide sources tend to be unpredictable and short term. through from Tsavo West include elephant, variety of wildlife How many grants are available over a ten-year buffalo, lion and leopard. which include horizon? Virtually none. How many unexpected the critically occurrences over the last few years have caused endangered Best Time to Visit sudden drops in tourism? Global recessions, eastern black Chyulu Hills can be visited year-round, but political unrest, terrorism, the Ebola outbreak in rhino, the cheetah, wildlife viewing is usually best in the dry West Africa, all took their toll. But conservation antelopes such months from June to October and January and communities require long-term, predictable as gerenuk and to February. Visits during the peak of the revenue. lesser kudu, huge short rains (November), and especially during The Chyulu Hills ecosystem offers an concentrations of the long rains (April and May), might be exceptional opportunity to refine a model that plains game such as challenging. The condition of the roads isn't promotes coordination across stakeholder wildebeest, zebra great, even in the dry season, although it entities, builds a diversified income streams, and and eland as well gets much worse after rain. A sturdy 4x4 is long term stability. It is a common vision that has as elephants which required throughout the year. often proved to be difficult. normally wander in Conservation in the Chyulus has historically from neighbouring Scenery followed the traditional model of ecotourism, Amboseli. The volcanic mountains offer a fascinating mix international philanthropy, and some bilateral of volcanic ash cones and barren lava flows. and multilateral funding. Campi ya Kanzi, for example, pays lease and conservation fees to Big black rocks are testament to the volcanic the Group Ranches. The conservation fee is origin of the mountains. The lava flows are earmarked to finance Wildlife Pays, a programme sparsely vegetated, but the upper slopes are where livestock losses caused by wildlife are home to 37 species of orchids. Deep beneath compensated to Maasai owners. the hills is a catacomb of mostly unexplored For the Chyulu ecosystem as a whole, and caves. particularly the Group Ranches, ecotourism and JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 SWARA 21 conservation programmes are already leading Bird watching is economic drivers and the largest providers of best in the dense local employment. Just on Kuku, the combined mountain forest of efforts of MWCT and Campi ya Kanzi provide the western sector over 300 full-time jobs. These include field of the park where rangers, researchers, administrators, teachers Hartlaubs turaco, and medical staff, as well as employees of the sunbird, speckled lodge. moosebird and white eared barbet CARBON CREDITS are prevalent. Yet conservation and community services are still Various swallos fly significantly under-funded. It is in this context along the forest edges while deep that partners are developing a broader vision for carbon credits on the Markit Registry and has in the glades you a portfolio of ecosystem-based payments. begun sales of these credits. It is estimated that spot stripe cheeked Over the past six years, partners collaborated to this will generate about 600,000 credits per year. greenbul, tropical develop a REDD+ [efforts to Reduce greenhouse While the market for REDD+ credits is currently boubou, white-eyed grass emissions from Deforestation and forest challenging, successful marketing could generate slaty flycatcher Degradation] carbon project, the second such $3-$5 million per year. and silvery cheeked project in Kenya. This is verified under rigorous One of the benefits of developing REDD+ hornbill. The hills international standards for forest carbon projects, projects in compliance with standards is that the also mark an process promotes information-sharing. In the the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the important stopping Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards off point for the case of the Chyulu Hills REDD+ project, this has (CCBS). globally threatened resulted in the