Research boosts the trans­ition to cli­mate-smart live­stock man­age­ment in East Africa

17 May 2021. The project's kick-off webinar.

The University of Helsinki’s Taita Research Station in Kenya and researchers from the Department of Geosciences and Geography led by professor Petri Pellikka are coordinating a four-year (2021–2024) project called ‘Earth observation and environmental sensing for climate-smart sustainable agropastoral ecosystem transformation in East Africa’ (ESSA) funded by the Development of Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) development cooperation instrument of the European Union. 

The project aims to increase understanding of the interlinkages between tropical upland forest cover and semi-arid lowland landscapes as well as the dynamics of their multifunctional agricultural ecosystems, particularly in terms of water resources in Ethiopia and Kenya. In addition to water balance, ESSA investigates drivers of vegetation change, determines the carbon footprint of livestock management processes and develops remote sensing techniques for estimating cattle numbers and monitoring environmental change. 

As study subjects, the project focuses on people practising livestock management and aims to diversify their livelihood, on the basis of research-based knowledge, into, for example, beekeeping and the manufacture of plant-based products (e.g., baobab, Aloe vera and Prosopis juliflora). Beekeeping requires the maintenance of a nectar and pollen source, or acacia trees. Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species, is being developed as a source of fuel briquettes to avoid using indigenous woody vegetation in the production of charcoal, which is already prohibited by law in Kenya. These livelihoods pursued alongside livestock management can generate income opportunities especially for women and young people, consequently improving their status in nomadic communities.

The project surveys the socioeconomic effects and application potential of these parallel livelihoods to investigate a broad-based transformation of the livestock management system in East Africa. 

The goal is to develop environmentally sustainable solutions that promote the maintenance of woody and grassy vegetation cover as well as support the adaptation of livestock management operators to the effects of climate change and changed land use.

The ESSA project is being carried out in Ethiopia and Kenya in cooperation with eight research institutions: the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the University of Nairobi, Addis Ababa University, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Council Secretariat (EARCS) and the Regional Center for Mapping the Resources for Development (RCMRD). In addition to the University of Helsinki’s Earth Change Observation Laboratory, the other contributor from Europe is the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education from the Netherlands.

"This programme will bring multiple benefits to the people of Kenya and Ethiopia. Firstly,the partnership between the University of Helsinki and various research institutes in Kenya and Ethiopia will enhance knowledge transfer and research capacity. ESSA project is especially important for Kenya, where arid and semi-arid landscapes with main income in pastoralism make almost 90% of the country and involve almost 40% of the population. Diversification of livelihoods and sustainable agro-pastoral ecosystems are important tasks especially with climate change"  Katrin Hagemann, EU acting Ambassador to Kenya

Further information about the project:

• The project's kick-off webinar half-day program in zoom included keynote speeches, presentations, and discussions. Full programme and link to registration.
• Petri Pellikka, professor, phone: +358 50 415 4701, email: petri.pellikka@helsinki.fi
• Earth Change Observation Laboratory
• Taita Research Station
• This was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union.