TOWARDS A POLICY FRAME-WORK FOR COMMUNITY BASED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN FRESH WATER ECO - SYSTEMS: ACASE STUDY OF LAKE NAIVASHA BASIN, KENYA

Abstract

Community Based Natural Resources Management is emerging as an important paradigm in Natural Resources Management globally. The concept is premised on  historical and traditional approaches to Natural Resources Management where the Community collectively manages natural resources from which they derive benefits through locally tailored norms and prohibitions, taboos, and anecdotes. Successfully implemented, the approach can be a Model for effective and Sustainable Natural Resources Management in terms of local empowerment, instilling communities with greater authority over use of natural resources and facilitating benefit sharing with the poor in society.  The objectives of the paper are to: Assess the effects of piloting this concept in Lake Naivasha basin, Analyse the extent to which current water policies support Co-Management in water resources, Document lessons learnt and elucidate a policy framework for strengthening its contribution towards Socio-  economic wellbeing of Community members. Data for the study was obtained in a field survey in the basin using Semi-Structured interviews, and Key Informant Interviews supplemented with information obtained by review of pertinent documents. The results indicate that while sufficient policy provisions exist for Community Based Natural Resources Management, a number of challenges exist in effectively entrenching this approach. These include; Weak local institutions, weak enforcement and lack of awareness at the local level. It is concluded that poor communities benefit in various ways when they have direct control over use and management of natural resources. It is recommended that voluntary participation of communities be enhanced in solving problems arising from the use of community natural resources, the management of natural resources be entrusted to local people, and strengthening basin local institutional weaknesses prohibiting the legitimacy of community members from managing and exploiting local resources for their direct benefits.