THE 2022-2026 NECSA-K STRATEGIC PLAN
Environmental governance issues in Kenya are dynamic today as they entail among others; the rights of citizen’s participation and representation, access to information from government and business corporate, transparency of organizations and processes and their accountability, appropriate laws, policies, and institutions access to judicial and administrative redress and remedy, and the need to tackle public corruption. Since its inception, NECSA-K has been advocating for environmental justice and the promotion of good environmental governance in Kenya. Furthermore, it amplified the civil society's voice and action on matters of the environment in government-led processes. Making the environment a front-line factor in decision-making is important. NECSA-K believes that environmental consideration should be part of socioeconomic, business, and natural resource use decisions and that ecosystem management and environmental protection should be a concern of all. The formation of NECSA-K is indeed an innovative idea in line with current approaches that encourage participatory and all-inclusive decision-making and management of the environment and natural resources.
THEMATIC AREAS
The NECSA-K Alliance is guided by its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan whose content is as below:
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Area |
Policy issues of advocacy |
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Forestry |
To halt the depletion of forestry due to fires, infestations, clear-cutting, burning, land conversion, effective exploitation and conservation, and fair distribution of revenues |
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Oil and Gas |
Policies to improve oil and gas environmental footprint. |
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Water and Wetlands |
Sanitation, clean water, reduced industrial waste and pollution |
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Minerals |
Sustainable mining methods, participation, equity, and social benefits to the community |
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Marine |
Sustainable exploitation of resources, regeneration, and conservation of the marine environment |
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Wildlife |
Against illegal activities, bushmeat hunting and poaching, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts |
NECSA-K STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of the NECSA-K Alliance is to ensure that the environmental civil society movement in Kenya is contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction through its efforts for environmental protection and sustainable management of biological diversity and natural resources. For this, it is important that the Alliance works through the following Objectives both in achieving its overall goal and to cover its areas of thematic focus.
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No |
Strategic objectives |
Strategies |
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To advocate for policy reforms in the environment and natural resources management in Kenya .
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Enhanced policy research, analysis and reviews |
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Participation in policy dialogue meetings with stakeholders |
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Influence the government to enforce and implement policies. |
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2 |
To promote sustainable environmental and natural resources management activities in Kenya
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Engage governments to plan and allocate adequate budgets |
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Engage stakeholders to institutionalize ESIA process |
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Influence stakeholders to adopt fair ecosystem services benefit sharing schemes. |
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Monitor policy implementation |
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Apply ESD, IK, SDGs, Gender equity and use of appropriate technologies within E and NR |
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3 |
To enhance capacity building of NECSA-K |
To enhance resource mobilization |
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Conduct advocacy trainings on E & NR |
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Improve capacity of NECSA-K on communication and networking |
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STRATEGIC ISSUES
The NECSA-K Alliance plans to work on the following strategic issues:
Environmental impacts of development projects: Kenya planned developmental, mining and infrastructural projects in water catchment and basin areas. These pose adverse impacts on forest, land and water ecosystems leading to pollution, deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
Public participation in environmental governance: Most projects in the communities are implemented and governed without their meaningful consultation and participation. The NECSA-K will support communities to participate in the entire stages of project implementation and decommissioning.
Tools of social accountability and monitoring: Development and use of tools (budget tracking, Environment and Social Impact Assessment - ESIA) to generate information for sharing and supporting reforms will be enhanced.
Capacity building: Advocacy, engagement, change process and resource mobilization skills and knowledge among NECSA-K partners will be supported.
Inclusive implementation of conventions and treaties: There are several UN treaties and conventions ratified by Kenya that communities are not aware about their implementations. The relevant to NECSA-K include Paris Agreement, Biological Biodiversity and Ramsar Conventions. The alliance will enhance awareness and their monitoring of their implementation.
Accountability and transparency: Exploitation of natural resources such as oil and gas, titanium, coal, marine and forestry resources require accountability and transparency.
Use of sustainable technologies: Natural resources face several conflicts e.g. use of pasture, water and range lands by pastoralists. Technologies such as rainwater harvesting, mobile and computer apps can minimize conflicts and insecurity in ASAL areas.
Markets and Financing: Private sector has been known to finance projects with adverse impacts on the environment and natural resources. NECSA-K will build the capacity of the alliance to conduct economic evaluations, government follow ups, resources allocations and fair appointments. This will enhance the integrity in the public and private investment sector. The county and national governments should be engaged by the alliance to allocate adequate budgets to cater for E & ER during policy planning and development.
Policy reforms: Political parties and policies must include environmental and natural resource sustainability into manifestos, laws, institutions, participation and benefit sharing.
Partnerships and collaboration: The alliance will build networks with other alliances addressing the environment and natural resource management.
Resource mobilization: The alliance lacks financial resources. She will mobilize resources to finance the strategic plan.
Cross cutting issues: The alliance will address use of Indigenous Knowledge and align SDGs, Gender and ESD into its work.
Communication: A strategy will be developed to cater for both internal and external communication on E &ER advocacy among members of the alliance.
For more on what the NECSA-K shall be working on, download The 2022-2026 NECSA-K Strategic Plan