Biodiversity Conservation at Taita Hills Forest

Forest, Trees, and People Programme ( http://www.ftpp.or.ke/fnews/taitahil.htm)

The following article is based on a case study carried out by the East African Wildlife Society (EAWLS) at the Taita Hills. The case study presents and describes Taita Hills region in the Coast Province of Kenya where remnant portions of endemic forest, part of the Eastern Arc mountain ecosystem, are under threat of encroachment and overuse, not only by local people but also by others from outside this region.

Taita Hills forests are found in the middle of the Tsavo plains of Taita-Taveta District in Coast Province Kenya. While much of the surrounding plains are relatively low-lying, the peaks which climb to a height of 2,228m above sea level at the highest peak, experience a distinctly micro-climate. In addition to lower temperatures, the hills form the first barrier to moisture laden clouds from the Indian Ocean, providing them with almost permanent humid conditions and high amounts of rainfall (average 1332 - 1910mm).

Historically the area has been characterized by an influx of migrants, the gazetting of a large portion of land into a national park and the establishment of sisal estates. With the increasing human population, land shortages and land pressure are evident. Scarcity of arable land has forced the local communities to move further up the hills and into the hilltop forests. Official responsibility for management of forests is divided between Forest Department and the Taita Taveta County Council. However, the County Council lacks adequate resources for management and has therefore turned over the forests to the Forest Department. The management style of the Forest Department has been exclusionary and has resulted in growing resentment and discontent among local people to the forests.

Further, the lack of coordination between line ministries (particularly, lands, agriculture vis a vis forests) whose policies are sectoral has created greater confusion and potential conflicts over the forests.

In 1988, EAWLS in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) undertook forest biodiversity research surveys which looked into the situation. An important finding of this was that conservation projects that focus on changes of behaviour should not target only the local people, as they are neither the only users nor the sole regulators of the resource.

The forests are mostly remnants of the larger forests that once capped the hills. Pressure for agricultural land resulted in the destruction of most of the original forests. Only a very small portion of the land area in the district has agricultural potential and much of it lies in the higher altitudes where the forests are found. The increase in human population, with its associated demands continue to place significant pressure on the remaining ones.

Land use has also changed with the increase in human population, as former pastoralists have settled in the higher regions where their livestock can survive against drought.

The Taita Hills forests play an important role in the region. They are important catchment areas for a number of river systems including the Voi, Mwatate, Bura, Paranga and Mwalui rivers whose water is used for domestic needs and agriculture. The forests are also the sources of major springs.

These forests are the only part of the Eastern Arc forests found in Kenya. The Eastern Arc forests run from southeastern Kenya to the Usambara region of Tanzania. As such they are important reservoirs of endemic flora and fauna. While the same hills have a mixture of exotic plantations established by the government and indigenous natural forest; the traces of original forest contain species that have been geographically and ecologically isolated for significant periods of time. These include 13 taxa of plants and 9 taxa of animals that are endemic to the region, as well as at least 22 plant species and 3 animal species that represent the Eastern Arc flora and fauna found only in Kenya and Tanzania. In addition, 37 species of plants are rare both nationally and globally.

Most of the Taita Hill Forests are very small (<1 hectares up to 168 hectares) and generate few economic returns. They have therefore received little attention both at national and institutional levels.

The rate at which these forests were disappearing prompted the EAWLS to implement a 15 month project to promote conservation through genuine involvement of the local communities. Financial support was provided by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. Public awareness campaigns at various community levels culminated in a three-day workshop held in 1996 on sustainable resource management.

The workshop participants came up with the following recommendations for the sustainable conservation of the forests:

• taping and recording indigenous knowledge on natural resource use and information on Taita Hills forests.
• reviewing forest management structures with the intent to involve all stakeholders and interested parties.
• initiating a Memorandum of Understanding between the Forest Department, local Taita communities and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable utilization of the forest resources.
• promoting a people-friendly integrated forest management program.
• initiating actions to save threatened forests and protect endangered species.
• establishing the forest boundaries and resolving anomalies and conflicts with participating parties.
• conducting a study on water resources and the potential to harvest run-off and river flow.
• undertaking vegetation, soil, ethnobotanical, zoological, hydrological and socio-economic surveys.

From the recommendations, EAWLS began a two year project targeting 4 of the 5 most important forests. These are Ngangao, Mbololo, Chawia and Vuria. The Netherlands Committee of IUCN supports the project, which commenced in February 1997. The project intends to:

1. Enhance conservation of forest resources through raising environmental awareness and strengthening capacity of local institutions.
2. Document non-timber product activities carried out in the area by local communities and other institutions.
3. Gather information which can be used in developing an integrated conservation plan that incorporates sustainable pilot collaborative management activities.

The assessment findings from the case study conducted by the EAWLS will be used to form advocacy campaigns to conserve the forests. They will have helped identify indicators by which the success of the project will be measured.

For more information, contact:
EAWLS
P.O Box 20110. Nairobi, Kenya
Phone:254 2 574145/574171
Fax: 254 2 570335