Deforestation in Kenya
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Kenya's forests are fragmented across the country. Combined, forests cover over 37 million hectares. Out of those 37 million hectares, 2.1 million are woodlands, 24.8 million are bush lands and 10.7 are wooded grasslands. Kenya's forests are important at a global level as they host 1847 species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles of which 4% are only found in Kenya. Beyond its fauna, Kenya's forest also hosts 6505 types of
vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...
s, with 4.1% only being found in Kenya. Today Kenya faces high rates of
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
which endanger both its fauna and flora. It has been estimated that since Kenya's independence in 1963, the forest cover has dropped from 10% of the nation to 6%, losing approximately 12,000 hectares annually.Seton Stiebert, Deborah Murphy, Jason Dion and Scott McFartridge (2012). "Chapter 4: Forestry". Kenya’s Climate Change Action Plan: Mitigation These levels of deforestation have impacted Kenya as they rely on the forest for the storage of rainwater, the prevention of flooding, the fertility of the soil, and the regulation of climate conditions. The
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
period and its aftermath made it clear to British colonial administration that reform was needed to sustain Kenyan forests. One of the first steps for conservation took place with the 1941 revision of the Forest Ordinance that passed legislation to create forest reserves and create a committee with professionals on matters of conservation.Ofcansky, Thomas P. “Kenya Forestry under British Colonial Administration, 1895-1963.” Journal of Forest History, vol. 28, no. 3, 1984, pp. 136–143. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4004697. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020. By 1950, the forest department had gained control of 100,000 acres, but it had a difficult time sustaining the conservation of these areas; it required meaningful policy to meet the constant attention these areas needed. As the
independence of Kenya A part of Eastern Africa, the territory of what is known as Kenya has seen Homo (genus), human habitation since the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic. The Bantu expansion from a West African centre of dispersal reached the area by the 1st mill ...
approached, its forest continued to degrade in part due to the land demand from the growing population. By the beginning of the 19th century, the population in Kenya stood at 1,7 million, which increased to 8.5 million by 1962. The desired land that could be used for farming was in the forests; thus, deforestation increased. Demand for wood fuel increased in urban areas such as
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
,
Kisumu Kisumu ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Kenya by population, third-largest city in Kenya after the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa (census 2019). It is the third-largest city after Kampala and Mwanza in the Lake Victor ...
, and
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
. After Kenya gained its independence in 1963, the efforts to resolve deforestation continued but fell short. Some of the methods taken during the period included the recruitment of Canadian and British experts to manage the forest. The Canadian Overseas Assistance Programme assisted Kenya by training its foresters and provided a 5-week tour in Canadian forests to Kenyan conservators, as both share the timber industry.


Contemporary causes

For the last two decades, the challenges Kenyan Forest faces are still similar to its long history of deforestation. Some of the current drivers that are increasing deforestation categorize into technological, economic, and cultural types. The drivers that are qualified as technological are mostly the lack of knowledge about the impacts of deforestation and the lack of appropriate technology required for three growing.Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. (2009). Analysis of drivers and underlying causes of forest cover change in various forest types of Kenya nlineNairobi: Republic of Kenya. Available at: http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/documents/redd/Analysis%20%20of%20Drivers%20of%20Deforestation%20&forest%20Degradation%20in%20Kenya.pdf ccessed 30 March 2020  The economic drivers are poverty leading to reliance on charcoal fuel and the usage of woodland for crops. As for the cultural challenges, one can classify the usage of fire for land clearing and the inability to control these fires. Agricultural expansion continues to impact the
Mau forest Mau Forest is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of . The forest area has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya. Mau Forest is the la ...
in
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. The area experiences massive deforestation to grow commercial tea and wheat. The forest of
Migori Migori also known as Suna-Migori is a multi-ethnic municipal town which acts as the capital of Migori County, Kenya. The town is located 63 kilometers south of Kisii town and 22 km north of the Tanzanian border. The Migori Metropolitan ...
and more western areas use the land for sugar, while forest in areas in Nyanza is used for tobacco.  Wood extraction also contributes to deforestation, but data has been systematically not collected by the Kenya Forest Service and the Ministry of Energy to prevent it from stopping. Most of the deforestation by wood extraction occurs in the dry woodlands of the coast, while wood extraction for charcoal and fuel occurs on locations nearby metropolitan areas where the demand exists.  Another factor that contributes to the deforestation in Kenya is
infrastructural Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
developments. Roads, railways, and
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
s lead to deforestation as they create new settlements that cause a demand in land and resources from the forested areas.


Measured rates of deforestation

During the last two decades of the 21st century, Kenya's rate of deforestation has remained consistent. The first decade of the century experienced 2,914.55 hectares in a primary forest lost and 19,401 hectares lost in tree cover while the second decade of the century has experienced a total of 2,099.74 hectares lost in primary forest and 17,167 hectares lost in tree cover.Mongabay. "Deforestation statistics for Kenya". Accessed on 4/2/20 from rainforests.mongabay.com.


Impacts

The impact of deforestation in the Kenyan water has been one of the most notorious; This is present in lake Naivasha and its surrounding communities. Lake Naivasha, located west of Nairobi, receives its water from the Aberdare Range where the rivers and streams that originate in the mountains are the source of water in the lakes. The forest in the Aberdares mountains traps moisture and keeps temperatures cool, provides cloud cover, and creates the rainfall that feeds the streams and rivers. The high levels of deforestation in the area have interrupted this natural cycle and affected several lakes such as
Naivasha Naivasha is a large town in Nakuru County, Kenya, lying by road north west of Nairobi. Overview The town has a total population of 198,444 (2019 census). The main industry is agriculture, especially floriculture. Naivasha is also a popular t ...
. With many trees in the Aberdares mountains gone, the forest is no longer trapping moisture or creating rainfall; thus, the water levels in Lake Naivasha have decreased. The scarcity of water has directly impacted flora and fauna of the region and also impacted local communities whose source of water is lakes such as Naivasha. Deforestation in Kenya, specifically in the Mara river basin, has also caused
soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...
and an increase in
flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
ing. Deforestation increases land erosion because forests help hold in place essential nutrients in the soil. From the early ’70s to the early 2000s, the
savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
h,
grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
, and shrub-land in the Mara river basin have decreased by 27% in part due to agricultural land usages doubling during the same period. As a result, land erosion has increased in the upper catchment area while lower areas have experienced an increase in flood by 7% and a 387% increase in Mara wetland during the same period that deforestation increased. The high rates of deforestation have increased temperatures in Kenya, thus also increasing the likelihood of
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
transmission. Deforestation rates in western Kenyan highlands directly affect the temperature in the area and alter the larval habitat, thus increasing their chances of survival and development.Kweka, Eliningaya J et al. “Effect of Deforestation and Land Use Changes on Mosquito Productivity and Development in Western Kenya Highlands: Implication for Malaria Risk.” Frontiers in public health vol. 4 238. 26 Oct. 2016, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2016.00238 Deforested areas in western Kenyan highlands have increased in temperature by  0.5 °C in 10 months while the average temperature of houses in the area has increased 1.8 and 1.2 °C during the same period. Additionally, the deforested areas are used for Maize cultivation in which larvae can feed and, as a result, grow into more significant adults and increase the likelihood of transmission. These conditions directly doubled rates of malaria mosquitos in Kenya from 0.22 to 0.33 and during the rainy season from 0.1 to 0.12, representing a 50% increase in the dry season and a 20% increase during the rainy season.


Response

As a result of high deforestation rates and its negative impacts, the Kenyan government has made efforts to stop it. The first signs of forest conservation in Kenya happened in 1957 with a policy that sought to preserve the forest in order to protect water catchments and promote
sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
of the forest industry. As a result of research and detailed data, in the early 2000s, the Kenyan government further pursued the protection of forests by enacting a policy that both addresses socioeconomic and environmental challenges. One of the most notorious examples being the 2005 Forest Act that continues to be an example of forest policy today. The 2005 Forest Act required public participation and collaboration with local communities to develop forest management plants while respecting their cultural traditions. In addition, the 2005 forest act acknowledged the ability of sustainable practices to reduce poverty and sustain necessary environmental resources. More recently the Kenyan government has sought new legislation that further incorporates local communities and promotes economic development. Some critical aspects of today's forest reform include the creation of the Kenya Forest Service, public and professional involvement in resource management, creation of a conservation fund, and conservation of the complete forest ecosystem, which includes water, flora, and fauna.  Additionally, other forest conservation efforts have been implemented with agricultural reform.  The Kenyan Agriculture act included new measures that required every agricultural landholder to conserve 10% of forest cover in their land.


See also

* Environmental issues in Kenya * Corruption in Kenya


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenya Deforestation by region Forestry in Kenya