Target 12: Significantly increase the area, quality and connectivity of Urban Green and Blue Spaces.

Kenya's green and blue spaces provide a wealth of benefits - including positive effects on physical and mental health, important species' habitat, habitat connectivity, and ecosystem services that mediate extreme events. The target on significantly increasing the area and quality, and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in Kenya's urban and densely populated areas by 2030 illustrates how important these spaces are to Kenya's national priorities. How these spaces will be addressed include through the mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the implementation of nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches and the enhancement of native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, biodiversity-inclusive research and urban planning, inclusive and sustainable urbanization. These actions are the result of robust discussions on how best to implement the main objective of the target, and were included directly in the target to ensure that the activities are properly understood and sufficiently budgeted for. The outcomes of this target include improvement of human health, well-being and connection to nature, and the provision of ecosystem functions and services - all of which are linked to indicators that will monitor progress on this target. One of the principles of the ecosystem approach was identified as particularly important for this target - principle 11 on the consideration of all forms of relevant information, including scientific and indigenous and local knowledge, innovations and practices. This critical element is captured in the indicator on the use of indigenous and local knowledge in the conservation and rehabilitation of blue/green spaces.