The United Nations Environment Programme -International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), in collaboration with Kenyan government agencies, community-based organizations, and academic institutions, is spearheading a groundbreaking mission in Busia County in April 2025. The initiative focuses on bamboo agroforestry, riverbank restoration, and climate-resilient housing to address ecosystem degradation and support development of local communities.
Targeting at restoration of 25 hectares of riparian land along the Nzoia River, the team implemented integrated approach for ecosystem restoration, with bamboo agroforestry as the core concept. Three species of bamboos (Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus asper, and Dendrocalamus giganteus), together with vetiver grass and Sesbania Sesbans were planted along 3km strip of the riverbanks in this long raining season to regulate floods, stabilize riverbanks and reduce soil erosion. Crops like maize, beans and vegetables were inter-cropped with the bamboos to provide food and incentives for community participation. This was conducted at the community recommended land, which was abandoned for the past 50 years due to frequent floods in the Lake Victoria Basin.
Community participated in bamboo plantation for riverbank restoration along the Nzoia River
This bamboo agroforestry initiative will not only build an ecological green belt along riverbanks with dense underground root system and above ground canopy, but also provide social economic value to the community, like food, fodder, pollinator, building and thatching material, medicinal herb and purified water. Such nature-based solution is being implemented and tested by the community as cost-effective approach for both short-term and long-term benefits in the flood zone.
Community participated in vetiver grass plantation for riverbank restoration along the Nzoia River
With capacity building as an integrated component of this initiative, two training sessions were organized during April 3rd-5th, focusing on sustainable bamboo cultivation and processing, bamboo agroforestry approach, bamboo propagation and sustainable bamboo plantation management. Around 100 community members were engaged and benefited from such technology transfer and trainings.
Training on bamboo propagation
This initiative also promotes sustainable use of bamboo resources for building climate resilient shelters, so as to boost the value chain development of bamboo industry. With a prototype of climate resilient bamboo house built at the Runguga Primary School last December, potential partners including Habitat for Humanity, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Kenya Red Cross visited the demo and discussed its upscaling potential as a shelter for seasonal flood refugees in Kenya and beyond.
Stakeholders visited the bamboo house at the Runguga Primary School, Busia
This initiative is supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences through its Sino-Africa Joint Research Center based in Nairobi, under the project entitled “Ecosystem Restoration for Enhancing Livelihoods and Addressing Climate Change: China-Kenya Cooperation on Bamboo Technology Transfer”. This field mission was participated by the Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Intergovernmental Authority on Development,Centre of Excellence for Climate Adaptation and Environmental Protection (IGAD CAEP), Habitat for Humanity, Busia Government, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Water Resource Users Association and the local community.
