Programmes

Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research North-South (NCCR North-South) Programme

The NCCR North-South Programme is implemented by the Centre for Development and Environment in concert with 8 institutions from Swiss Universities, and is in its second phase since July 2005 till June 2009. The core focus of the second phase is 'Research partnerships for mitigating syndromes of global change' through

1. research aimed at mitigating the negative effects of global change and enhancing potentials for sustainable development;
2. training and support for individuals as well as institutional competence development, and
3. partnership actions for societal empowerment, adaptation and innovation.

The NCCR North-South Programme activities in the so called Joint Areas of Case Studies (JACS) East Africa cover Kenya and Tanzania. CETRAD hosts the NCCR North-South activities in JACS East Africa. As the Regional Coordination Office, CETRAD's main functions and work outputs include but not limited to general administration and coordination, platform for academic and applied research, and coordination of Partnership Actions to Mitigate Syndrome of global change (PAMS) implementation.

For more details please visit NCCR N-S / www.nccr-north-south.unibe.ch

Eastern and Southern Africa Partnership Programme (ESAPP)

ESAPP's mission is to promote Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and Sustainable Regional Development (SRD) in Eastern and Southern Africa by means of integrated concepts and innovative tools, research and research partnerships, capacity building and development support, based on partnership activities involving individuals and institutions inside and outside the region, thereby attempting to enhance economic development, social welfare, and ecological sustainability. The Programme is implemented by the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) of the University of Bern under the contractual agreement with, and funding by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC). CETRAD is the ESAPP's Focal Point for Kenya and Regional Node for the region which includes five other countries (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar).

For more information please visit ESAPP

Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation (COMPACT) Project

The Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation (COMPACT) is an UNDP Global Environment Facility-Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) initiative, which aims to contribute to the conservation of the Mt Kenya ecosystem and the National Park by working with the local communities and other stakeholders around the mountain. CETRAD is hosting COMPACT Project and provides administrative and logistics support.

Cambridge University UK Darwin Initiative on 'Building Capacity to Alleviate Elephant Conflict in North Kenya

This is a three years project, from 1 October 2006, implemented by the Department of Geography University of Cambridge in collaboration with CETRAD and under the funding by the UK Darwin Initiative and the ESAPP. The project's main aim is to develop, apply and assess community-based Human-Elephants-Conflicts (HEC) alleviation tools (Community-Based Problem Animal Conflict and early warning systems) in a bid to reduce crop-raiding in Laikipia District, through the involvement of communities in the affected areas and in partnership with other local private and government conservation groups.

Conservation Agriculture

This is a collaborative project between Syngenta Crop Protection Ag, Syngenta East Africa Ltd, and CETRAD, in conjunction with The Agricultural College of Switzerland (ACS). The project builds on the FAO sponsored CETRAD/WOCAT pre-investments in Conservation Agriculture (CA) that focused on reduced soil tillage and improved moisture retention for higher yields in some selected smallholder farmers in East Laikipia. Therefore the current project, primarily, aims to build upon the base knowledge smallholder farmers have gathered through CA training, and incorporate the safe and effective use of Crop Protection Products (CPP) to further increase crop yields and improve family income, health & quality of life.