Conservancies Feted for Promoting Sustainable Tourism
The 11th edition of the Eco-Warrior Awards was held on Friday 14 October at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Upper Hill, Nairobi under the theme: Sustainable Tourism Our Diversity Our Strength.
KWCA conservancy member Ol Lentille Conservancy from Laikipia emerged the winner of the Eco-Tourism Community Conservancy of the year award followed by Ol Kinyei who bagged the first runners-up.
The Eco-tourism Private Conservancy of the Year award was bagged by Ol Pejeta Conservancy also from Laikipia with Oljogi Conservancy clinching the first runners-up.
The winners were selected for their work with communities to minimise negative social impacts of tourism and optimise opportunities provided by tourism to the communities.
Sustainable tourism
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism For Development.
Conservancies play a critical role in promoting sustainable eco-tourism development, as they establish a local support base for communities to participate in decision-making processes, which is vital for sustainable tourism.
Through conservancies, communities become co-partners and co-beneficiaries in development, deriving benefits from wildlife through job creation and payment of eco-system services in the form of lease fees paid to land owners.
To this end, KWCA, through the Community Conservancy Policy Support and Implementation Program (CCSP), is supporting community conservancies to adopt best practices in management, governance, sustainability and community engagement among community conservancies.
CCSP is supported by USAID Kenya and jointly implemented by KWCA in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
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