Replenish Millions of Kenyan Household’s Granaries Through Forest Restoration.

Abstract

Deforestation is estimated to have deprived Kenya’s economy of Kshs. 5.8 billion (US$68 million) in 2010 and Kshs. 6.6 billion in 2009, far outstripping the roughly Kshs. 1.3 billion earned from forestry and logging each year (UNEP, 2012). Kenya has a forest cover of 7.4 per cent of its land area, compared to around 12 per cent 50 years ago. The Kenya Forestry Working Group has estimated that Kenya will lose US$300 million each year through deforestation. Deforestation and Forest Degradation (DFD) results in loss of livelihoods and climate change. In Kenya, about 15 million tons of carbon dioxide is lost annually through DFD and poor forest governance and management. In Kenya, agriculture feeds both rural and urban populations. The forest ecosystems are core to both the agricultural and food system. Forests provide various ecosystem services which include water, climate regulation, soil erosion control, pest, diseases and frost regulation, key ingredients to foods security of the 47 million Kenyans. Between 2000 and 2010, an estimated 28,427 hectares of forest were lost in key water towers leading to reduced water availability and increased carbon emissions. For instance, low volumes of water and frequent drying of Mara River occasioned by the destruction of the Mau forest complex has exacerbated the vulnerability of the Mara ecosystem. The degradation of the Mau forest complex has a direct impact on the reduction the tourism, an industry which contributes about 3.7 per cent of GDP (2017). Besides, pastoralists based in the Mara River Basin lost 35 per cent of their livestock due to drought. Forest degradation has also triggered the scarcity of resources and resulted in conflicts between government and Community Forest Associations (CFAs). Recent conflicts have been witnessed at the Maasai Mau, Cheregani and Mt. Elgon forests. Further, forest destruction precariously exposes women and girls as they walk long distances to fetch fuelwood. About 82 per cent of households use fuelwood for cooking and 1.2 per cent for lighting (KIHBSP, 2017). However, Kenya is only able to meet about 70 per cent of this demand through sustainable domestic supply. The annual deficit of 12 million cubic meters is met by formal and informal imports plus unsustainable extraction from natural forests (KIHBSP, 2017). The situation can be reversed through forest restoration and meaningful involvement of the CFAs in forest co-management