Towards an ICT Model for Biodiversity Conservation Information Nexus Livelihood Strategies in Turkana East and South Sub-Counties, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract Turkana County faces a myriad of environmental issues including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water catchment destruction, poaching, domestic and industrial pollution, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, degradation of aquatic ecosystem and resources, droughts and invasion flash floods and invasive alien species .This study is inspired by the growing challenges of biodiversity conservation issues, which are causing problems in Turkana County, Kenya, such as food insecurity. In today's digital age, information and communication technologies (ICTs) is no longer just a support function but a critically enabler for service delivery and management. ICT enhances effectiveness and efficiency in the operations of modern organizations thereby playing a critical role in driving economic, social and political developments in Kenya. As a result, this study will look into various scenarios in which ICTs are used to relay relevant localized biodiversity conservation information to help rural communities in Turkana County make informed decisions that would improve their pastoral productivity and, by extension, their livelihoods. The study will add an ICT system to the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), which will include Digital Capital and ICT Tools, thus strengthening the SLF. This redesigned SLF will mainstream ICT-driven biodiversity conservation information and provide the optimal vehicle for using such data to achieve increased long-term sustainability. The Information Needs Assessment Model (INAM) will be used to strengthen the SLF by addressing household power dynamics and biodiversity information relevance in rural communities, using invention innovation theory, Bourdieu's ideas of social capital theory, and the Information Needs Assessment Model (INAM). The objectives of this study will be to determine the extent to which rural people have access to and use ICT tools in the use of biodiversity conservation information; to determine the extent to which rural community’s use of ICT-based biodiversity conservation information influences their ability to maximize access to and use of livelihood assets; to investigate the livelihood strategies used with the increasing use of ICT-based biodiversity conservation information and to develop an ICT model linking biodiversity conservation information and livelihood strategies. Data will be collected using mixed-methods approach guided by the SLF. A household survey with 425 respondents, 5 key informant interviews, and 2 Focus Group Discussions will be used as specific methodologies. The study will combine theoretical and applied research findings to bridge the gap between ICT theory and practice, while also connecting it to biodiversity conservation data and improved rural livelihood methods.