An Introduction to Sustainable Kenya

Sustainable Kenya: An Introduction

A trip to Kenya is a vote for sustainability. With over 8% of the country under national protected areas, any booking made means impacting the lives of local communities around Kenya’s iconic destinations, and protecting the diverse wildlife and the unique environments where they are found.

The goal for the Kenyan tourism industry is to be low impact, community- and conservation-oriented, and to have a positive influence on the people who visit as well as the country’s resources.

Kenya supports conservation, sustainability, and community development through a number of projects that strive to conserve wildlife, sustain resources, and employ local communities.

Conscious travelers have many accommodation options to choose from, ranging from eco-rated lodges, hotels, and camps to reserves, conservancies, and sanctuaries that all promise a memorable and responsible stay for your clients.

In addition, there are considerable efforts being made to reduce human-wildlife conflict in areas outside Kenya’s national parks, reserves, sanctuaries, and conservancies. These efforts range from allocating off protected areas within parks and conservancies to encouraging community tourism enterprises and providing compensation to farmers whose livestock are killed by Kenya’s free-roaming wildlife.

Different stakeholders, including private investors, local NGOs, and conservation organizations, initiate these interventions. There are also well-publicized events held to raise money and awareness for such initiatives. Travel agents can help by booking their clients at lodges that support these initiatives and are working towards making a difference. Generally, lodges that support sustainability tend to be smaller (and more exclusive), so it’s a win-win since the higher the price of the trip, the greater your commission.

In addition to these initiatives, others include:

Ivory Ban: Kenya has been firm on the war against poaching to protect endangered animals such as elephants and rhinos sought after for ivory and horns.

Plastic Ban: Kenya set an example in conservation of the environment through the ban on single-use plastics in 2018. Dubbed the world’s toughest moratorium, the ban has reduced the number of plastics getting into the Indian Ocean waters posing a real threat to marine life. Kenya has stepped up her efforts on harnessing the blue economy and the plastic ban is one of the success stories towards this goal.

Wildlife Conservation: Kenya is home to one of the largest populations of rhinos in Africa. It has only two remaining female northern white rhinos, whose species is on the brink of extinction. Kenya is a pioneer of the sanctuary approach, placing rhinos in fenced-off areas under the close watch of armed rangers equipped with thermal imaging cameras and drones.

Green Energy: Kenya is leading in Africa in green energy, tapping into solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro-energy.