Guiding the Fair and Sustainable Use of Nature

About Strathmore Natural Capital Hub

The Strathmore Natural Capital Hub is a pioneering center dedicated to integrating the value of our planet's natural resources into critical decision-making processes. By guiding governments, businesses, and investors, we ensure a sustainable and resilient future for generations to come.

Introduction

The Strathmore Natural Capital Hub (SNCH) is a pioneering transdisciplinary synthesis center dedicated to advancing knowledge and experiential learning in natural capital. In an era where global challenges demand extraordinary leadership, SNCH is at the forefront, guiding governments, investors, businesses, and citizens to recognize and integrate the essential value of our planet’s natural capital in their decision-making processes.

Our mission aligns with the three Rio Conventions of the United Nations: Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification and Land Degradation. By fostering a deep understanding of these critical areas, SNCH aims to drive sustainable practices that ensure the preservation and enhancement of natural resources for future generations. We believe that by embedding natural capital principles into all sectors of society, we can create a more resilient and sustainable world.

Our Vision

To be a global leader in fostering sustainable nature-based development by integrating natural capital into decision-making across governments, businesses, and communities, ensuring the preservation and enhancement of our planet’s resources for future generations.

Our Mission

Developing ethical, sustainable, and fair use of natural capital.

Problem Statement

The Challenge we Address

Africa’s natural wealth—its forests, rivers, and diverse ecosystems—is essential for both local communities and the global economy. Yet, this natural capital is often overlooked in key decisions, leading to a gap between economic progress and environmental health. This results in unsustainable practices that harm our planet and limit opportunities for people.

Get Involved

The Strathmore Natural Capital Hub is building a future where our planet’s resources are valued and managed sustainably. Your involvement is crucial to this mission. Whether you’re a student, a professional, a policymaker, or a community leader, you can help us drive real change.

Learn with Us: Enhance your skills with our masterclasses and training programs on natural capital markets, Net-Zero strategies, and citizen science.
Partner on Research: Collaborate with us on evidence-based research that influences public policy and guides private investment for a sustainable future.
Become a Citizen Scientist: Join our community initiatives to gather crucial data. You can help inform local interventions and become part of a continent-wide movement.
Support Our Mission: Contribute to our work through strategic partnerships and funding. Your support helps us expand our reach and accelerate the integration of natural capital principles across all sectors.

Sign Up

Join the Strathmore Natural Capital Hub Community

Stay connected to the latest in natural capital. By signing up, you’ll be the first to receive updates on our research, events, and opportunities to get involved.

Why Sign Up?

Learn with us: Get updates on our masterclasses and training programs in natural capital markets, Net-Zero strategies, and citizen science.
Stay informed: Receive our newsletter with the latest research findings, policy analyses, and case studies.
Engage with a network: Be notified about upcoming webinars, workshops, and networking events with leaders in the field.
Discover opportunities: Learn about new partnerships, pilot projects, and ways to support our mission.

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Contact

For more information, reach out to naturalcapital@strathmore.edu or call +254 703 034 414.

Our Focus Areas

Policy Research & Analysis

Policy Research and Analysis

Reviewing national and international policies on natural resources, climate change, food systems, and inclusive prosperity to generate insights that guide decision-making and identify transformation pathways for sustainable development.

Natural Capital Accounting

Advancing natural capital accounting through geospatial statistics, modeling, and AI technologies to enhance sustainable management of natural resources.

African Nature-Based Markets (Carbon and Biodiversity)

Strengthening methodologies and policies for high-integrity carbon and nature-based markets, including project development and advisory support for project developers, project proponents and investors.

Citizen Science

Designing curricula and training programs to empower communities to inclusively generate credible, robust, data that informs context-specific interventions and opportunities

What we Do

Research for Development: Actionable and Evidence-Based Research of Natural Capital to Guide Public Policy and Private Investment decision-making processes.
Master classes in natural capital markets (carbon and biodiversity markets) and Net-Zero strategies.
Micro accreditation for Citizen Science for communities and local researchers.
Digital media, innovation and entrepreneurship capacity-building to inform continent wide conversations and decision making with regards to Africa’s participation in natural capital markets.

Our Team

Prof. Jacqueline McGlade

Prof. Jacqueline McGlade

Hub Director

Jackson Kiok

Jackson Kiok

Research Officer

Eden Meles

Eden Meles

Hub Administrative Manager

Benson Ngotiek

Benson Ngotiek

Research Intern

Eve Njau

Eve Njau

Research Officer

Monica Chuchu

Monica Chuchu

Research Officer

Monica Chuchu

Monica Chuchu

Research Officer

Kennedy Lovi

Kennedy Lovi, PMP

Program Officer

Kennedy is an experienced and certified project manager, design and implementation researcher, and strategist at Strathmore University Business School (SBS). Formerly, the project coordinator for the Driving Country Level Change – Women in Health Leadership Project funded by the Gates Foundation, Kennedy provided both administrative and technical support to the project, ensuring the achievement of the desired outcome of fostering gender equity and inclusion in organizations between 2023 – 2025. In addition, he coordinated the Multiple First-Line Treatment for Uncomplicated Malaria Pilot Project funded by the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) from 2019 – 2022. His areas of expertise include coordinating project activities, monitoring project schedules, outputs, and outcomes, and planning, budgeting, and reporting. He possesses proficient administrative, operational, technical, and creative skills that allow him to manage and coordinate research and implementation projects skilfully. Also, Kennedy is an emerging researcher who works closely with study investigators to plan, deliver, and report research activities. He has been involved in developing research protocols, data collection tools, undertaking field data collection, data analysis, and report writing. Kennedy Lovi is a graduate of Egerton University and is a certified project management professional at the Project Management Institute. He also holds a professional certification in leadership from Strathmore Business School.

Our Projects

True Value of Food-Kenya Project

True Value of Food Project KenyaTrue Value of Food Project Kenya

True Value of Food Project Kenya is a collaborative initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through The Economics for Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Unit in partnership with Strathmore University Business School (SBS), funded by the IKEA Foundation.

This project aims to highlight the value of nature and drive the transformation of food systems in Kenya and promote environmental sustainability while improving the well-being of communities.

It follows up on the initial work in the Mau Forest Complex, which looked at scenarios to develop an integrated valuation, using non-market and market approaches, of the ecological basis of the agrifood systems along different value chains—making nature’s value visible.

Kenya’s water towers, including the Mau Forest complex, Cherangani, and Loita Hills, provide essential ecosystem services to communities. However, these areas face unprecedented challenges of drastic forest cover loss driven by the rising human population and the expansion of agricultural land into forest areas. This has limited their capacity to provide essential ecosystem services, resulting in loss of biodiversity, reduced agricultural production, and vulnerability in livelihoods. Government, NGOs, and the private sector have dedicated efforts to reversing these trends through policy processes and operations. A challenge, however, persists where the true value of these ecosystems’ natural capital is invisible and the impacts of poor land use practices are unaccounted for. This means that the role of nature in delivering food security, biodiversity support, climate regulation, carbon sequestration cycles, and other ecosystem services is not properly valued.

In this project, SNCH will be working with communities and stakeholders, using co-design and co-production processes to accurately capture data and generate evidence on the drivers of change in Kenya’s agri-food sector, develop scenarios of potential futures, and create pathways to transform the food system to become more resilient to climate and socioeconomic shocks.

Learn more about this project here

Partners:

Operationalization of Citizen-Generated Data for Infectious Disease Response

Commissioned by the United Nations Foundation- Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (the Global Partnership), supported by the Wellcome Trust, the study was conducted across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to explore the opportunity for institutionalizing citizen-generated and inclusive data to combat infectious diseases heightened by environmental change.

The project addressed the escalating threat of climate-sensitive infectious diseases by championing inclusive data approaches. It was expected to map the current landscape of citizen-generated data (CGD) use, identify critical barriers to its adoption by national governments and statistical offices, and pinpoint key opportunities for integration into official policy and decision-making processes. Its goal was to lay the groundwork for a future collaboration designed to shift attitudes, build technical capacity, and catalyze partnerships for the sustained use of inclusive data.

The key outcomes of the scoping study successfully provided a foundational analysis of the barriers and enablers for institutionalizing CGD. The work focused on identifying the obstacles that prevented CGD from systematically adopting these data practices. The report culminated in actionable recommendations to guide initiatives aimed at integrating CGD into the heart of public health policymaking for disease surveillance, prevention, and response.

The Future of Work in Kenya's Informal Economy

The Future of Work in Kenya’s Informal Economy

Commissioned by TRANSFORM and led by the Brink team, this project embarked on an eight-month collaborative journey, engaging the collective efforts of over 700 individuals and 80 committed organisations from across the ecosystem collectively shaping the narrative around the Future of Work in Kenya to understand the aspirations and challenges within the informal economy.

The research delved into the heart of Kenya’s informal sector, capturing a collective pursuit of prosperity that was defined through the Prosperity Index model lens to co-produce locally specific models of prosperity, factoring in diverse experiences and circumstances shaped by various factors to most importantly, understand community level aspirations and priorities. Through the model’s five main domains with 15 headline indicators, the multifaceted descriptions of what prosperity represents revealed the critical need for empowering communities to inclusively generate credible, robust, data that informs context-specific interventions and opportunities. The project culminated in a powerful call to action and a portfolio of co-designed recommendations for a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders, including donors, policymakers, support organizations, and the entrepreneurs themselves. Key actions included investing in an inclusive support system, bridging the digital divide, and promoting inclusive decision-making to pave the way for a more prosperous and equitable future for millions.