SEA for Wind Energy and Biodiversity in Kenya
On behalf of Kenya’s Ministry of Energy, The Biodiversity Consultancy led an expert consortium with BirdLife International, Nature Kenya and The Peregrine Fund to develop a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for wind energy and biodiversity in Kenya. The assessment was supported by USAID’s Power Africa Transaction and Reforms Program, implemented by Tetra Tech.
Work for this Plan-level SEA work included:
- Scoping the assessment with stakeholders from industry, conservation, research and government
- Review of the policy framework for wind power in Kenya
- Review of current and planned wind power developments
- With expert stakeholders, identifying and prioritising Valued Environmental Components (VECs) for species and sites
- Field surveys, vulture tagging, and compilation of VEC spatial data from a wide range of other sources
- Spatial sensitivity analysis and mapping
- Developing mitigation and monitoring recommendations for current and future wind power developments.
In March 2019, we presented the ‘zero draft’ assessment at a well-attended stakeholder consultation meeting. Stakeholder comments have since been incorporated in a new draft that is extensively revised and updated. This draft SEA is now available for stakeholder use and review, prior to formal submission to Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority.