Geoffrey Mwangi Wambugu

Coastal Forest Management Systems in Kenya: Simulating the Effectiveness of Two Forest Management Scenarios in a Multiple-use Kenyan Coastal Environment Geoffrey Mwangi Wambugu

Tropical coastal forests are faced with a myriad of pressures: conversion to agriculture, logging and pressure from tourism activities. The Eastern Arc and Coastal Forests of East Africa represent an area of high species endemism, but are faced with threats which threaten the very existence of the ecosystem. This work explores forest management regimes along the southern coast of Kenya and their implications to forest conservation in the region. The study employs Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)to assess forest cover and losses between community-managed forests and 6 government managed forests. Satellite imagery from Landsat and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) are used. Degeneration of community-based forest management systems coupled with agricultural expansion and population explosion could lead to immense forest losses in the next two decades along the Kenyan coast.