Ndera Community Conservancy

Background

Ndera shares the banks of the Tana River with Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy on the eastern side, whose sustainable community development and conservation efforts since becoming part of the NRT family in 2007 were part of the inspiration behind the forming of Ndera. Having seen the progress made by Ishaqbini, talks within the Pokomo communities began in 2009 to lay the foundations joining NRT. 

The Tana River area is a fragile ecosystem that supports many rare birds and primates, and because of this, has been closely monitored by the Kenya Wildlife Service. There are now over 60 community-based environmental groups in Ndera, spearheading conservation efforts in this precious rangeland.

Ndera is now part of NRT – Coast, a satellite NRT support centre with a headquarters in Lamu. NRT-Coast is both better equipped and situated, to focus on the challenges of the coastal conservancies.

The People

Within the Ndera area there are several sub-clans of the Pokomo tribe, all of whom have representatives in a council they call the ‘Gaza’ council of elders. The council deal with community and conservation issues and are the main point of contact between the community and NRT. They are pastoralists and fisherman, and have traditionally lived a subsistence lifestyle along the banks of the Tana. Clashes with the Orma community over land resources have plagued Pokomo history, but as modern knowledge of sustainable land use is combined with the traditional ways of the community, it is hoped agreements can be reached that benefit both tribes and the wildlife they share. 11 rangers have been employed from the community and trained with funding from NRT in wildlife monitoring, conflict resolution and first aid. They have been supplied with VHF radio’s to enable quick communication where mobile phone signal is limited, which helps them track suspicious activity in the area and get medical help to people that need it.

Ecosystem

Away from the river, the Ndera rangeland consists of dry scrub dotted with acacia’s, constantly thirsty for rain. But the riverine ecosystem that springs from the banks of the Tana is home to over 200 species of birds as well as the rare Tana River Red Colobus and Tana Mangabey, found nowhere else in the world. It is a consistent water source for people and wildlife, and is a resource that needs to be carefully managed to ensure both can continue to benefit. Ndera will pilot the first of NRT’s conservation agriculture programs, focusing on a business model for developing mango markets. A feasibility study by a team of masters students from the Oxford University Said Business School has been completed for this project.

Visiting Ndera

With the unique diversity that the Tana River ecosystem provides, there is no reason the Ndera community could not host successful tourism ventures in the future. As it continues to improve security operations, infrastructure development and combat poaching, that dream becomes an ever closer reality.

The Future

With assistance from NRT and partner organizations, Ndera aims to achieve the following in the coming years:

• To convene, along with all other NRT community conservancies, in annual general meetings to share plans and progress
• To take part in a livelihood baseline survey, commissioned by NRT, with a view of determining the status and priority of education, health, water, jobs, food security, infrastructure and current availability of government services
• To continue the strengthening of wildlife security and monitoring within the conservancy
• To sign a partnership memorandum of understanding, along with all other community conservancies, between themselves and NRT 
• Obtain funding for the development of a new HQ
• To register as not-for-profit
• To develop a conservancy management plan endorsed by the constituent community in Ndera