Environmental conservation is an umbrella term that defines anything we do to protect our planet and conserve its natural resources so that every living thing can have an improved quality of life3 . The importance of conserving the environment owes to the fact that healthy ecosystems sustain the fundamentals of human life and civilization. They clean the air and water that we are dependent on, provide important natural resources. Healthy ecosystems are necessary for food production free of toxins. Finally, they provide beauty in our lives .

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. These unexpected weather patterns can make it difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely on farming because expected temperature and unreliable rainfall levels. There is a connection between climate change and other damaging weather events such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms

ADSE introduced this strategic theme while developing the 2014 – 2019 strategic plan to address the emerging global and organizational concerns of the changing climate risks such as unreliable rainfall, increased desertification and global warming. The thematic area aimed at improving climate change governance, increased vegetation cover and reduced environmental degradation.

During the implementation period, ADSE achieved the following outcomes,
Improving climate change governance: formulation of 2 climate change policies –Kitui and Makueni; formulation of 2 climate change regulations –Kitui and Makueni; establishment of governance structures i.e. County Climate Change Steering Committee, Climate Change Fund Board, County Climate Change Technical/Planning Committee; Establishment of 37 ward level governance structures (WCCPCs & CBOs, conducted capacity building on leadership and resource mobilization; Development of 2 CIS plans.
Increased vegetation cover, where ADSE established 54 tree nurseries; Planted 116,782; Created awareness and supported use of renewable energy -308 and Energy-saving Jikos constructed – 667

Reduced environmental degradation: (a) gabions construction -14; Terraces done -105km; Trained advocacy groups on environmental conservation – 20
Staff capacity strengthening on environmental management:(a) climate change and CIS -50 Staff exposure – 10; Collaborations -26; EIA-5

he above key outputs contributed to enabling ADSE improve climate change governance, increased vegetation cover and reduced environmental degradation within the five counties.