Kenya’s Natural Capital: A Biodiversity Atlas
Policy & Practice
OVERVIEW
"Kenya’s Natural Capital: A Biodiversity Atlas” is a richly illustrated guide to Kenya’s wealth of plant and animal life. Ranging from coral reefs to high mountain communities of Mount Kenya and from deserts and savanna grasslands to forests and Great Rift Valley lakes, the tapestry of Kenya’s habitats ranks it among the richest vertebrate regions on earth. The Atlas shows how Kenya’s varied landscapes and climate have shaped biodiversity, ecosystems, cultures and livelihoods. It also documents the threats to species, habitats and natural resources, the conservation steps Kenya has taken to protect biodiversity and the gaps that remain.
COORDINATING & LAUNCHING THE ATLAS PROJECT
We led and coordinated "Kenya's Natural Capital - A Biodiversity Atlas" Project, commissioned by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Authorities of the Government of Kenya. ACC helped bring together national agencies, universities, non-government organizations, and academic institutions to create a detailed assessment of Kenya’s biodiversity—the first atlas of its kind.
The Atlas was launched on November 17, 2015 at a ceremony held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. In her address to stakeholders at the launch ceremony, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Authorities, Prof. Judi Wakhungu stated that “Kenya is endowed with a wealth of natural capital that forms the basis of the country’s social-economic development and the Atlas will provide the government, Kenyans and the global community with a comprehensive source of up to date data, policy and relevant information on Kenya’s Natural Capital.”
ACC's Kenya Biodiversity Atlas Team
ATLAS WEBSITE
This interactive tool helps build a comprehensive conservation framework for meeting Kenya’s Vision 2030 for a green economy.
DIGITIZING BIODIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Thanks to a partnership with the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) Africa, we are digitizing our large archive of published and unpublished biodiversity materials accumulated over decades of conservation research in different landscapes in Kenya. Making this information available to the public has been a priority for us. Our partnership with BHL helps us preserve our archives while making our biodiversity literature available to the world.
BHL’s digital library for biodiversity literature currently contains more than 46 million pages from biodiversity literature, field books from the 15th to 21st centuries, with more than 159 million taxonomic names found throughout the collection.
All the materials in the BHL are free to access, download and reuse and repurpose under the principles of open access and open data.
How to access information on BHL
* Visit www.biodiversitylibrary.org
* Search by title, author, subject or publication year
Help us build Kenya's online biodiversity library! Submit requests for new titles that can be added to the digital archives. Your contribution will benefit a community of BHL Researchers, students, policy makers, and enthusiasts.
Make a Contribution
Help African Conservation Centre (ACC) conserve biodiversity in Kenya. We work directly with communities through a collaborative approach of scientific and indigenous knowledge, livelihood development and good governance.
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