Total Economic Value of Maasai Mau, Trans Mara and Eastern Mau ...

Executive SummaryThe Mau Forest Complex is the largest closed‐canopy forest ecosystem in Kenyacomprising different forest blocks under different management regimes. The studycovered three of the Mau Forest Complex blocks, i.e. Eastern Mau, Maasai Mau andTrans Mara. Of the three blocks, the Maasai Mau Forest is a trust land managed by theNarok County Council, and the other two are gazetted forests managed by the KenyaForest Service (KFS) on behalf of the central government and they form the maincatchment for the Mara River. The Mara River is the lifeline to a complex mosaic ofecological and economic systems that cut across its entire basin. The Mara River is atransboundary resource that serves key conservation areas both in Kenya and inTanzania. Apart from serving the world famous Mara and Serengeti wildlifesanctuaries, the Mara River Basin provides critical ecological services in form of waterstorage; river flow regulation; flood mitigation; recharge of groundwater; reduced soilerosion and siltation; water purification; conservation of biodiversity; and microclimateregulation. The Mara River Basin and associated forests support key economic sectorssuch as energy, tourism, agriculture, industry and urban sanitation. The uppercatchment also hosts the last group of hunter-gatherer forest dwelling communities, theOgiek, and supports the livelihoods of communities living adjacent to forests throughprovision of material goods such as food; wood fuel; fodder; and building materials.The basin also generates global public goods/services such as wildlife conservation,carbon sequestration and biodiversity.Demonstration of total economic value of the forests is important to ensure that forestecosystems are accorded appropriate priority in policy-making levels including centralbudgets and resource allocations. The values will also strengthen the arguments ofagencies promoting forest conservation and rehabilitation activities. Often, the value ofthe forests is grossly under-estimated for two reasons. The first is because valuationsonly consider the direct uses, mostly commercially marketed goods. Second is thefallacy that economic players acting in their own interest to assess the value of theforests resources do not take into consideration the interests of other stakeholders atlocal, national and international levels.It is with such reality that some actors have entered the agenda to support governmentand other local initiatives on conservation of key forest resources in East Africa. Onesuch institution is the East African Community/Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC)Secretariat. The body coordinates the Trans-boundary Water for Biodiversity andHuman Health in Mara River Basin Project. The project aims to enhance the capacity of3