K-BIAN Kenya Biodiversity Impact Accelerator Network
An aerial view of a forest access track cutting through the Kakamega Forest canopy
Active

Forest Conservation

K-BIAN owns tree seedling nurseries and has raised 200,000 tree seedlings, and has signed Community Forest Association agreements covering Bunyala, Kibiri, Muileshi and Machetu forests. The rest of the programme — forest adoption, agro-forestry, pest control and ecosystem research — is designed and planned, not yet under way.

K-BIAN owns tree seedling nurseries, in addition to sourcing seeds from the Community Forest Associations (CFAs). The Forest Conservation programme brings together tree planting, community-based forest management, agro-forestry, pest and disease control, and research and monitoring across the Kakamega Forest Ecosystem. Two parts of this programme have real, delivered results already — the rest is designed and being built.

What has been done

Tree planting: K-BIAN has raised 200,000 indigenous tree seedlings for planting across the ecosystem.

Rows of indigenous tree seedlings raised in polytubes under a nursery shade structure
Seedlings raised toward the 200,000-seedling total, under shade netting.

Community-based forest management: K-BIAN has signed Memoranda of Understanding with four Community Forest Associations — the entry point for involving local communities in forest management decisions and activities:

  • Bunyala Community Forest Association (Bunyala Forest)
  • Kibiri Community Forest Association (Kibiri Forest)
  • Muileshi Community Forest Association (Kakamega Forest)
  • Machetu Community Forest Association (Malava Forest)

Forest restoration and management

Restoration of degraded landscapes: K-BIAN plans to access sections of the ecosystem with degraded landscapes for restoration, reintroducing native species, improving soil health and implementing protective measures against further degradation.

Forest adoption: forest adoption — a mechanism administered by the Kenya Forest Service under Kenyan forest law — is a route K-BIAN intends to pursue: taking on responsibility for a specific allocated area, including tree planting, protecting it from encroachment, managing its resources and carrying out rehabilitation.

Agro-forestry: the programme is designed to promote the integration of trees into farms, supporting biodiversity, soil health and water resources while addressing climate change through carbon sequestration and improved resilience to climate shocks.

Pest and disease control: monitoring and control of forest pests and diseases, to protect the health of the trees, is planned as the programme develops.

Community engagement and livelihoods

Livelihood improvement: the programme is designed to support sustainable livelihoods that depend on forest resources, such as beekeeping, non-timber forest product collection and ecotourism.

Capacity building: training and resources for local communities to participate effectively in forest conservation are planned.

Environmental education: ongoing awareness-raising about the importance of forests and responsible forest use is part of the programme's design.

Research and monitoring

Forest monitoring: K-BIAN intends to support the monitoring of forest health, biodiversity and carbon stocks, to assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts.

Research on forest ecosystems: research to better understand forest ecosystems and the impacts of human activity on them is planned.

Data collection and analysis: collecting and analysing data on forest resources and conservation activities, to inform decision-making, is designed into the programme.

Keep exploring

More programmes