Embassy Science Fellows Program 2009 (Kenya)

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000455

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/STC EILEEN KANE
ADDIS ABABA FOR REO KIRSTEN BAUMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT APER EPA KE
SUBJECT: Embassy Science Fellows Program 2009 (Kenya)

REF: A. SECSTATE 10843, B. 07 Nairobi 4616

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Subject/General Information
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1. Embassy Nairobi requests a Science Fellow from USGS,
NOAA, USDA, or other appropriate agency to provide
technical assistance to Kenya's Ministry for the
Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands in land
use planning for Kenya's Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs).
Timing for the Fellowship is flexible, but ideally the
Fellow would arrive in Kenya before the end of calendar
year 2009 and spend enough time with Ministry officials to
make a significant contribution to the development of a new
the land use plan. We understand some of the previous work
done by USGS scientists Chris Funk, Jim Verdin, and Michael
Dettinger would make any of them particularly well-suited
for this project. No foreign language or security clearance
is required, but a medical clearance would be necessary.

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Proposal Description
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2. Kenya's Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs) represent over
80 percent of the country's land mass, but have been
systematically neglected in terms of development since
Kenya's days as a British colony. The economy in these
areas has always relied on the livestock sector, but the
sector's continued viability relies on sustaining
ecologically sensitive pastoralist practices.


3. Security, development, and political interests pressure
pastoralist groups to become sedentary residents of towns,
and the Government of Kenya must figure out how to help
maintain the balance between helping ASAL inhabitants
benefit from development while preserving an environment
conducive to pastoralism.


4. Climate change will make this task more difficult.
Existing scientific literature predicts that Africa -- and
ASALs in particular -- will be strongly affected by climate
change. Longer, more frequent droughts and vegetation
changes will make the pastoralist lifestyle even more
challenging. Land use planning is made more complex since
it must address drought mitigation, tourism as a source of
national revenue, and the needs of pastoral communities.


5. Kenya's Ministry for the Development of Northern Kenya
and Other Arid Lands (the Ministry) was established in 2008
to address the development needs of Kenyans living in the
ASALs, and the ministry has taken on a diverse portfolio to
help them. It is not easy. In addition to the harsh
living environment, Kenya's ASALs are prone to violent
conflict, which is often aggravated by poorly conceived
development agendas that favor sedentarization over
pastoralism.


6. The Ministry will soon begin the process of developing a
land use management plan to balance the interests of
pastoralists and sedentary populations as well as promote
sustainable development. While many of the issues to be
grappled with are political and cultural, others are
technical and will depend on how Kenya's ASALs are likely
to change over time under the effects of climate change.
Growing interest in Northern Kenya by investors is likely
to increase pressure on the natural resource base and
therefore make even more important the need for
scientifically sound land use planning, as well as the
institutions which will ensure their application. New
attention from investors, while welcome, may be a double-
edged sword.


7. The Ministry would benefit tremendously from the
presence of a Science Fellow to act as a technical advisor
on the development of the land use plan, particularly with
regard to the effect of climate change on Kenya's ASALs.
Specifically, the Fellow would develop or utilize a
downscaled climate change model to predict how climate
change will affect Kenya's ASALs. From the downscaled
model, the Fellow would provide advice and guidance on
likely water and vegetative changes so that the Ministry
could make informed decisions on land use. The ultimate
objective of the land use plan is to help mobile
pastoralism remain a viable livelihood and ensure
sustainable development of sedentary populations, while
maintaining the wildlife tourism industry.

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Administrative Support
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8. The U.S. Mission will provide housing, travel funds, and
administrative support for the Fellow's tenure in Kenya,
including office and computer support if necessary,
although the Ministry has offered to provide a work space
and computer support. The Fellow's work would primarily be
in Nairobi working with Ministry staff, but some in-country
travel will likely be necessary. Depending on the timing
of the Fellow's arrival, the Mission will either identify
temporarily vacant furnished housing within the existing
Mission housing pool or will alternately identify suitable
temporary residence in a local RSO-approved hotel. Post
Management and RSO support the deployment of a Science Fellow.

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Contact Information
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9. Political Officer Rachael Doherty will be at Post until
August 2010 and will be primary point of contact. She can
be reached at 011 254 (0)20 363 6188. Her e-mail address is
DohertyRT@state.gov. Post's ESTH officer, George Aldridge,
is due to rotate in Summer Cycle 2009. He and his successor,
EFM Carrie Denver, will act as backup points of contact. Mr.
Aldridge can be reached at 011 254 (0)20 363 6048. His e-mail
address is AldridgeGW@state.gov. USAID/Kenya will provide
additional support and guidance through the direction of
Supervisory Program Officer Mark Meassick.
RANNEBERGER