Co-Creating Pathways for Scaling Sustainable Pastoralism in Northern Kenya

News April 28, 2026

Researchers, conservation practitioners, government and community representatives gathered in Nanyuki on 1 and 2 April 2026 for a two-day co-creation workshop focused on synthesizing lessons for sustainable pastoralism in northern Kenya.Convened by the Wyss Academy for Nature’s East Africa Hub, the workshop brought together partners working across Laikipia and Isiolo counties to reflect on lessons emerging from ongoing initiatives that combine ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, and resilient pastoral livelihoods in arid and semiarid lands, using the Solutionscape approach.The workshop marked the start of a broader synthesis process aimed at turning field experience into practical guidance for practitioners, policymakers, and communities working to strengthen pastoral systems in similar landscapes. 

Youth-led tree nurseries for restoring the Gambella Wetland

Project Update January 26, 2026

Led by the Enlite Youth Group from Gambella, a youth-managed tree nursery is playing a key role in restoring the Gambella Wetland in Meru County, Kenya. By producing native seedlings for wetland and landscape rehabilitation, the nursery links restoration with income for young people, who are earning from seedling sales while building practical conservation skills.The Gambella Wetland sits between the water-rich Mount Kenya highlands and the arid lowlands. It is a dry-season refuge for wildlife, pastoralists, and farming communities. In recent years, rapid land-use change and groundwater abstraction have strained this fragile system, reducing water availability and intensifying competition among users.Situated between the water-rich highlands of Mount Kenya and the arid lowlands, the Gambella Wetland is a critical source of water for wildlife, pastoralists, and farming communities—especially during dry seasons. Rapid land-use change and increased groundwater extraction have placed growing pressure on this fragile ecosystem, threatening water availability for both people and nature.By linking youth leadership, tree nurseries, and wetland restoration, the initiative strengthens local ownership, builds conservation skills, and supports long-term ecosystem recovery. Implemented by CETRAD in partnership with the Wyss Academy for Nature, and in collaboration with local communities, Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), and government institutions, the project demonstrates how nature-based solutions can deliver lasting ecological and socio-economic benefits.Watch to see how youth-led action is helping restore the Gambella Wetland while creating opportunities for the next generation.

From practice to public evidence: monitoring nature-based solutions for Kenya’s water

News November 3, 2025

The authors propose three pillars that work together: Adaptive, co-designed monitoring through living labs connects local practice to agreed protocols and continuous learning, so datasets are consistent over time and anchored in place. A national, open NbS repository built on FAIR principles makes vegetation, hydrology, and household water metrics findable, citable, and verifiable, which allows results to be checked, compared, and reused beyond single projects. Standardized indicators embedded in planning and finance ensure county plans, national strategies, and outcome-based instruments track performance in the same way—linking budgets to outcomes rather than activities. The paper also points to practical enablers: long-term monitoring, evaluation, and learning budgets; open-access publishing and co-authorship with practitioners and county officers; and careful attention to land tenure and free, prior, and informed consent to sustain monitoring access and trust. Read alongside our work in Kenya, the emphasis is familiar—pair grounded practice with shared evidence so decisions travel across levels and endure. Ultimately, the value of Kenya’s nature-based solutions will be judged not only by what is built, but by what is learned and shared. Turning monitoring into public evidence—co-designed, comparable, and open—gives communities and authorities a common reference point for decisions and finance. That is how local practice informs policy, and how water governance becomes both more accountable and more resilient over time. 

Empowering youth to take part in wetland protection

Project Update January 12, 2025