Turkana County Strategic Environment Action Plan, July 2020 - July 2024.

This Strategic Environment Action Plan, covering the period 2020-2024, addresses environmental and climate change issues in an integrated manner at County level from various sectors, including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water catchment destruction, poaching, domestic and industrial pollution, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, degradation of aquatic ecosystems and resources, droughts, floods and invasive alien species. Therefore, the Plan identifies strategies and actions to be taken by government agencies, civil society, individuals, in order to achieve the county’s sustainable development, in line with that of the whole country and in compliance with Sustainable Development Goals. This Action Plan is structured as follows: Part I: 1) Environment, People and Economic Development. 2) Socio-economic status, poverty, gender and the environment. 3) Climate change/Variability. Part II: Environment and Natural Resources. 4) Biodiversity. 5) Forests, woodlands and grasslands. 6) Land, agriculture, livestock and fisheries. 7) Water, wetlands resources. 8) Health and the Environment. Part III: Emerging Challenges. 9) Emerging issue. Part IV: Environmental governance now and future. 10) The Future of County Environment. 11) Policy Analysis and options for action.
The Action Plan provides for identification of the following environmental resources of the County: arable and non-arable lands; forests; minerals and gold deposits; biodiversity flora and fauna; grassland and rangelands; surface and underground water including: springs, rivers and lakes; landscapes; geothermal, wind and solar energy sources; oil and gas resources; fishes in Turkana lake. The Action Plan identifies the following environmental issues and causes of climate change: destruction of watersheds; air, water and plastic pollution; illegal water abstractions along the main rivers; riparian land degradation; deforestation; bush clearing and burning; droughts; frequent floods; soil erosion; abandoned quarries; human-wildlife natural resource use conflicts; solid waste management; renewable energy exploitation; environmental disease incidences monitoring; electronic waste management; indigenous knowledge identification system; handling and disposal of hazardous waste; disaster mitigation and management; land use planning; groundwater contamination; tree planting. The Plan focuses on climate change’s impacts on the County’s economy: destruction of natural habitat; reduced acreage of agricultural land due to desertification and loss of soil fertility; loss of livestock due to water scarcity; decreased fish size; loss of tree species and reduced forest cover; increased greenhouse gas emissions; proliferation of harmful alien species; food insecurity; gender inequality.
Considering the rich biodiversity heritage of the County and its importance in addressing environmental issues, the Action Plan defines biodiversity status, forest and vegetation, land and agriculture, livestock and fisheries, water resources and related challenges: groundwater and surface water resources, wild animals, vegetation and wild flora, domesticated animals, water birds, aquatic animals, turtles. Actions aiming at protection of biodiversity focus on: fishing areas protection, fish stocks conservation, water resources conservation, control of invasive and alien species, list of threatened plant species; actions to increase forest cover; areas of research and development, including: agroforestry, beekeeping, use of forest products (wood and non-wood), indigenous knowledge in forests conservation; details on land use and types; land ownership and tenure systems; land conservation and protection; land uses and impacts on the environment; agricultural production and its hindrances; agricultural practices and impacts on the environment; farming and land clearing; irrigation practices; excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides; mitigation measures to the impacts of agricultural practices on the environment: integrated pest management, crop rotation, natural pest eliminators; control of animal pests and diseases.