Symphony Kenya project
The Symphony Kenya project is a joint project by KMFRI and SwAM to build both capacity and a tool for cumulative impact assessment for Kenya marine spatial planning.
Increasing capacity to assess cumulative impact
The project will give Kenya the capacity to assess cumulative impact on the environment and test various ways of using the ocean. The outputs will be useful to marine spatial planners and marine managers.
It will strengthen capacity for ecosystem-based marine spatial planning by integrating the Symphony tool at both national and subnational scales. The Symphony Kenya project will use cumulative impact assessments to inform planning and decision-making.
Outputs: maps, data, tools, assessments
- 40 maps or data layers covering the marine spatial plan area, showing ecosystems and pressures from human activities
- 1 Kenya Symphony tool installed, up and running, available to users
- 1 national scale 250 meters Symphony model framework
- 1 subnational scale high-resolution Symphony model for Shimoni-Vanga, if data permits
- 1 to 2 servers
- Cumulative impact assessments
Joint development – mutual benefits
The joint development gives mutual benefits. Kenya builds in-house capacity in terms of skills, procedures, systems and assets, whereas Sweden builds capacity in local national tools and in tool adaptations. Countries in the Western Indian Ocean region will be able to learn how Symphony Kenya did the development, so that they can develop things themselves, while open-source tools are improved by all.
Team work
Building the Symphony Kenya tool together means collecting data, programming scripts, modelling maps, setting ecological sensitivity scores and reviewing it all, with experts on data, fishing, planning, ecology, shipping and wildlife. Expert team work.
The team doing the work are people from KMFRI, the Kenya MSP team, SwAM, SGU, SLU and the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, along with extra specially invited experts.
KMFRI stands for Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, and SwAM stands for Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
The Symphony tool: visualize data, compare uses, highlight threats
Symphony is a web tool that supports marine spatial planning by assessing environmental impact from human activities.
The Symphony tool enables the user to visualize data, test scenarios, see top impacts, and compare different ways of using the ocean. But Symphony doesn’t give a final verdict; it highlights threats and values to look into more closely. Read about features and limitations in a Symphony tool in the WIO Symphony manual (pdf 13 MB).
Funding sources
The Symphony Kenya project is a joint project by KMFRI and SwAM, Kenya and Sweden. The funding is obtained from different sources:
- The Kenyan part is made possible thanks to the Strengthening Blue Food Systems in Shimoni and Vanga project, a NORAD-funded Kenya-Norway 2025-2028 bilateral programme.
- The Swedish part is made possible thanks to a bilateral environment cooperation funded by the Government Offices of Sweden, and a development cooperation funded by Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
Life will go on: post-project use
After the project, KMFRI will continue to host the tool and servers and manage both data and tool. This will require budget for servers and – more importantly – for personnel skilled in data management, GIS, modelling, ICT, ecology and impact assessment.
The data and tool are to be used in assessing and renewing Kenya’s marine spatial plan.
Enjoy the Symphony!
About Symphony Kenya project
What
Build capacity and a tool for cumulative impact assessment for Kenya MSP on two scales: national and a local
Why
Strengthen capacity for ecosystem-based marine spatial planning, use cumulative impact assessments to inform planning and decision-making.
Who
A team of Kenya and Sweden, with KMFRI, Kenya MSP team, SGU, SLU, SwAM and the Nairobi Convention Secretariat
How
Together
Where
Online + onsite Kenya
When
2026 and 2027
Use the presentation About Symphony Kenya project pdf, 1.2 MB.
Related
- Strengthening Blue Food Systems in Shimoni and Vanga project
- WIO Symphony
- Symphony
Contacts
Wilhelm Gårdmark
E-mail: firstname.lastname@havochvatten.se
Pichaya Zerne, SGU, project manager
Harrison Ongánda, KFMRI, project lead
