Launched in 2016, Vital Signs Kenya Integrates Data on Agriculture, Ecosystems and Human Well-Being.
The program is implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Conservation International through the Vital Signs Program.
As per the MOU, the parties conducted a scoping study of existing monitoring data and frameworks related to Agriculture, Environment and Human well Being in Kenya. A key recommendation from the study and stakeholder consultations was to improve data integration and sharing through an online data intergration platform.Other identfied gaps included a general lack of data intergration and sharing policies and procedures, disincentives for data intergration and inadequate information management and technology.
The parties have since developed "the Data Intergration for Sustainable Development in Kenya Platform"- a cross sectoral, multi-stakeholder information and data visualisation portal and decision support tool.
The first phase of the of the platform development has brought together diverse organizations including: Kenya Wildlife Service(KWS); Kenya Forest Service(KFS); Department of Resources Surveys and Remote Sensing(DRSRS); Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries(MALF); Kenya National Bureau of Standards(KNBS); Famine Early Warning System Network(FEWS NET); Water Resources Authority(WRA); Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association(KWCA), National Environmental Management Authority(NEMA), Kenya Water Towers Authority (KWTA), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and The System for Land based Emissions Estimation in Kenya(SLEEK). Currently the platform includes over 40 indicators, across various thematic areas.
