Conservation of Karura Forest Reserve and its role in providing environmental services to city

Samuel Owuor, Teresa Mbatia & Parita Shah Department of Geography & Environmental Studies ,

A Presentation at the Round Table Workshop on Resilient Cities Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 2 October 2014 Cities and climate change

• Cities in Africa are hotspots for risks and impacts associated with climate change • Impacts and vulnerability vary according to location, form, density and economy of the city • The risks and impacts are real, but highly uncertain • Cities must be part of the solution in terms of mitigation measures

…the role of Karura forest as a “carbon sink” and “green lung”

The Karura Forest Reserve

 Located in northern part of Nairobi  Gazetted in 1932  Covers an area of 1041.3 ha (originally 1062.7 ha)  One of the largest gazetted forest located entirely within city limits  Has both natural forest (25%) and plantations (61%)  Rich in biodiversity with many species of plants, birds, insects and mammals  Managed by the Kenya Forest Service The 1990s battle field and the long journey to Karura forest conservation efforts  The 1990s threat of land grabbers, encroachment, illegal allocations & excisions  with her resilient nature led all sorts of protests  Forest Act 2005 that prohibited de-gazettement of forests, while encouraging participatory forest management  2009 formation of Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) Friends of Karura Forest / Karura Community Forest Association

 Made up of individuals, corporate membership and resident associations + other stakeholders  Run by a Board and supported by a management committee  Partnering with Kenya Forest Service to:  protect, manage and conserve the forest  provide access, livelihood and employment to people living around the forest  restore the forest to its natural … Notable achievements & lessons learnt

Rehabilitation of the forest, Friends of Karura Forest and making it safe, secure and participatory forest serene: management has made Karura:  Karura Forest Strategic  A watershed Management Plan (2010-2014)  A biodiversity reservoir  Fencing the forest  A historical and cultural site  Efficient and transparent  A recreation and eco-tourism area management system  A research and environmental  Improving existing infrastructure education centre  Creating more recreational and  While at the same time providing eco-tourism options important environmental services  Community livelihoods projects to Nairobi city (i.e. carbon sink, (bee keeping, fish ponds, forest soil and water conservation) resources, employment)