Eastern Africa Coastal Forest Programme: Regional Workshop ...

financial support for research, management and monitoring of coastal zone, and
integrated development of coastal zones. Regional and international coordination
should be encouraged. See Annex F for the Mozambique Country Report.
A presentation was also made on a case study of the Cabo Delgado conservation
initiative by a member of the Mocambique delegation.
KENYA REPORT
The Kenya Coastal Forest System has an estimated total area of closed forest of
787km 2 and an estimated total area of woodland/bushland of 120 000 ha. Of this, 50
790 ha is in forest reserves, 114 460 ha in national reserves and 16 000 ha remains
ungazetted (see Annex G for the Kenya Country Report).
It is an area of high endemism, threatened by clearing for agriculture, clearing for real
estate development, logging for sawn wood, wood carving, pole cutting, mining and
elephant damage (on specific sites).
The sacred Kaya Forests are situated in the coastal plain and hills of Kenya. They
tend to be residual patches (av.10ha - 200ha) of once extensive diverse lowland forest
of Eastern Africa occurring within the Zanzibar-Inhambane Regional Mosaic. The
Kayas are very botanically diverse and have a high conservation value as determined
by various biological studies. More than half of Kenya’s rare plants are found in the
Coast Region, many within these forests on the coastal strip.
According to local traditions the forests historically sheltered small fortified villages.
The sites of the original settlements, often marked by forest clearings, were
maintained by the communities led by their Elders, as sacred places of ritual, and
burial grounds. Cutting of trees and destruction of vegetation around these sites was
prohibited the main aim being to preserve the surrounding ‘Kaya’ forest as a screen or
buffering environment for the clearings. The Government has from 1992 gazetted a
number of them as National Monuments through the National Museums of Kenya.
The National Museums’ Coastal Forest Conservation Unit has been undertaking a
conservation programme for the Kayas with support from the World Wide Fund for
Nature WWF since 1992.
The challenges ahead for Kenya coastal forests and Kaya forests include:
• Developing a collaboration framework for institutions and community groups
involved in kaya and coastal forest conservation.
• Exploiting the evolving policy and legal environment favouring community
participation
• Strengthening local community organizations to undertake conservation and
development activities
• Developing and implementing clear participatory management strategies and
rules for the kayas and other coastal forests
• Expanding livelihood choices and opportunities for local communities to reduce
harmful dependence on kayas and coastal forests
Eastern Africa Coastal Forests - 13 - Workshop Report, Nairobi February 4-7 2002