The International Fund for Animal Welfare has invested US$40M (Sh4.914 billion) in the conservation of wildlife in the last 20 years in Kenya.
A large slice of the amount was invested by IFAW in education and health services for communities that live with wildlife in the country, according to visiting conservationist Azzedine Downes.
Downes, who is the president and CEO of IFAW, made the remarks in Kajiado on Wednesday evening after paying a courtesy call to Governor Joseph Lenku, and one day after he met President William Ruto in Nairobi on Tuesday.
While in Kajiado, Downes congratulated Olgulului group ranch Chairman Daniel Leturesh on winning the IFAW Animal Action Award, which he wasn’t able to receive in London. Downes handed the prize to Leturesh in person in Nairobi today on Wednesday.
The conservationist met with President Ruto to discuss the importance of biodiversity in combatting climate change and introduced to the head of state the new conservation-led initiative “Room to Roam” during their meeting on Tuesday.
The initiative, Downes said, is intended to ensure that biodiversity—including wildlife—is recognized as a critical factor in the fight against global climate change
. The Room to Roam Roundtable is a first step in attracting conservation investment across the region.
“President Ruto’s support and that of Kenya will be key to the success of Room to Roam, a long-term plan to protect critical landscapes from Southern to East Africa to allow both wildlife and people to flourish”, says Downes.
“This will be fundamental to ensuring a meaningful shift in reducing the impact of climate change,” he added.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently called for “a giant leap on climate ambition” and the need to drastically reduce emissions.
Ruto spoke out at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (CoP27) to emphasize the need to include both biodiversity and wildlife as critical factors in reducing those emissions in the first place — a view keenly supported by IFAW.
“As wildlife and people run out of space, IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative ensures stable elephant populations by securing key habitats, by bringing people together, and by creating safe passages for elephants and other wildlife to move freely,” said Downes.
“If wildlife has access to healthy habitat for both food and water, as well as the natural space to thrive, it will result in greater biodiversity and ultimately produces a natural resilience to climate change. A better solution for us all,” he said.
