Hub East Africa

In East Africa, changes in land use combined with the effects of climate change have increased pressure on, and competition for, natural resources, compromising the functional integrity of ecosystems and the services they provide. The team within the Wyss Academy for Nature’s Hub East Africa works to promote the coexistence of people and nature by preserving the connectivity, functionality, and health of ecosystems. They aim to leverage the co-benefits of biodiversity for the wellbeing of both humans and the ecosystem. They are active in Kenya and Madagascar’s, wetland, forest and semi-arid biomes. Their incubators focus on ecological and socio-economic systems, integrating technology and the diversification of livelihoods with the preservation and sustainable use of natural assets critical to people, wildlife and ecosystem health.

Main achievements in 2023

1. Growth in Hub East Africa

The Wyss Academy has grown in the Hub East Africa, increasing the scope and coverage of its operations in Kenya and Madagascar. This year, the Hub expanded its talented team and enhanced the diversity and strength of its partnerships, allowing for transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration between different organizations. This will contribute to the urgently needed positive impact on people and nature. The implementation of strong monitoring, learning and evaluation systems underpins the foundation of the Hub’s work, allowing the team to adapt their approaches to achieve their goals.

2. Shared visions created for all Solutionscapes

A shared vision for each one of Hub East Africa’s three Solutionscapes was defined, serving as a guiding north star to their work. In Madagascar, a multilevel visioning process resulted in a “Plan for a better life”. The Local Committee for Transformation and a multidisciplinary coalition for change are collectively driving efforts to reach these aspirations. In Kenya, the Hub team—in collaboration with multiple partners—achieved a shared vision that cuts across counties and community conservancies for Solutionscape 1, and a localized shared vision with partner CETRAD (Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development) for Solutionscape 2 in the Gambella Wetland, paving the way for their sustainable management. They also built a coalition willing to support change with representatives from community groups, government institutions, county governments, NGOs, conservancy managers, academic institutions and private sector partners.

3. Shared systems understanding in all Solutionscapes

Hub East Africa incubators are developed based on the team’s shared understanding of the systems they operate in. Using a sensitivity analysis tool, they developed a shared understanding of system dynamics for all three Solutionscapes in northern Kenya and Madagascar. Levers of change have been identified and prioritized, so that action can meet the urgent need for transformations across the landscapes. In Kenya, two Hub-facilitated workshops focusing on water scarcity and climate change, and monitoring using digital twin technology in the years to come, integrated the Wyss Academy’s transdisciplinary research teams into the landscape.

4. Impact in all Kenyan incubators

Each one of the five incubators in Kenya has achieved impact. The Hub team has demarcated seven dual-purpose corridors, facilitating movement across the landscape. Additionally, achievements such as digging 50,000 semi-circular bunds in Laikipia County, county spatial planning, and critical natural asset mapping now secure access to natural resources, all of which have local, county and national governance systems to support their sustainable management. Through collaborative efforts, these incubators reinforce each other, creating positive feedback loops that accelerate systemic transformation.

5. Scaling up innovation

An initial pilot of 5,000 semi-circular bunds, dug in response to a request from the youth-led Green Earth Warriors group in the Naibunga Community Conservancy, has demonstrated huge potential for scaling and innovation. To support the sustainability of this initiative, innovative tripartite governance mechanisms—household, formal and customary—now oversee more than 50,000 bunds with the aim of getting to 100,000 bunds in 2024. Integrated within this initiative is technical expertise from Justdiggit, and robust monitoring from the Wyss Academy’s Interdisciplinary Research Project on Water Scarcity.