GISEEM - GIS Enhanced Ecological Mapping for Improved Governance
GISEEM combines geo-informatics to capture and help in the translation a X-platform of knowledge and information as narrated and told by the local communities about their lives, livelihoods and factors that have played a role in forming and moulding their relationship with nature and the general environment.
GISEEM project is being implemented as a partnership between three communities (Kariima, Giitune and Mukogodo), three NGOs (Porini, BEA International, SHALIN Finland). The partnership is further extended through ABN/Gaia Foundation, ERMIS Africa, IPACC and IIED. GISEEM funding is from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MfA) and the project is for three years (2007-2009). The total funding is 110,000 Euro. In 2007 project spent 55,238.00 Euro which included donations, volunteer time and cash contributions. From the Ministry budget, the project spent just over 37,000 Euro.
In 2008, the crisis in Kenya delayed most of the planned project activities and the bulk of this work will be undertakeń during the second part of the year.
The main objective of the project is to improve the governance and management of natural resources in Kenya and in doing so promote the regeneration indigenous knowledge systems.
Development Goal: Community forests managed in a sustainable manner in support of livelihoods within clear legal frameworks and well-governed institutional arrangements.
To work with 3 pilot communities in Kenya using GIS enhanced ecological mapping to achieve
the improved conservation of biological and cultural diversity, the fair and equitable partitioning of forest resources and clarity in the Forestry Act enhanced community ecological governance and mitigation of resource related conflict the improved institutional governance in the management of community (trust) land and natural resources.
GISEES data is captured using handheld GPS and later processed to produce maps. The maps are an added tool for the community to use for advocacy, lobbying, dialogue and consensus building.
The local communities are trained in the skills of GIS mapping and data storage.
The trained local GIS team then train other community members to use GPS to map out their resources.
The maps produced are an added tool for planning of the use of natural resource including the development of Community Forestry Management Plans as required under the Forest Act.