Oasis of Loiyangalani Kenya Combat Desertification - Water Resources Management (Am03025)

The “OASIS ECOSYSTEM” project carried on by the Water Right Foundation (WRF-Florence, Italy), Wings For Earth (WFE - Principality of Monaco, France) and Acquifera (Florence, Italy) has been developed to promote and improve local economic development for the populations of Loiyangalani, village-oasis located in the district of Marsabit (north Kenya, along the Turkana Lake) by providing training and information for the management and protection of local ecosystem-resources.

The three main goals of this program are:

1) To protection the ecosystem-resources by increasing food productivity by a program of reforestation and the fight against desertification, to kick start economic self-sufficiency;

2) To reinforce the community and social-economic structure through:

• a federation of ethnic groups;
• promoting primary & secondary school education;
• sanitary improvement;
• improving food self-sufficiency;

3) To promote product yields and their differentiation: micro and medium credits.

The main interests of the “OASIS ECOSYSTEM” project are to:

1. Support the activities of the “NANYORI GREEN BELT” program, mainly in relation to the protection of the Loiyangalani Oasis ecosystem and to fight desertification in this area;
2. Realize a prototype of “ new vegetation” finalized to widen the Oasis ecosystem, to increase food productivity for the local populations and to supply new areas of pasture for the domestic animals that effects of increment of the loss of ground are one of the main causes;
3. Enhance the water resources available both for potable and irrigation purposes;
4. Provide the know-how for the construction and management of water resources to the local populations, the area-prototype and other areas for new vegetation.