Analysis of the role of forest,biomass policy legislation and other factors that may affect the future of Kenya’s forests: Use of Japanese forestry as a model |
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| Authors: | Abednego Osindi Birundu Yasushi Suzuki Jun’ichi Gotou Mika Matsumoto |
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| Institution: | 1. Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan;2. Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Forests are one of the most important ecosystems on earth that require careful management, conservation, and sustainable exploitation. As countries have their own guideline systems, each may learn and borrow from one another’s experience. One of such countries is Japan, which has elaborate forest policies, and rich in forest cover (67%) with its forest history dating many years back. On the other hand, Kenya, with a forest cover of just 7% and its policies demonstrating notable weaknesses, has a lot to learn from Japan. Therefore, we have attempted to do a comparative analysis of forest policies, technologies, and management practices between Kenya and Japan. Results indicate that Kenya’s forest policies do not place adequate emphasis on silvicultural practices and the establishment of forest plantations, and rarely focus on sustainable biomass utilization—factors that contributed significantly to forest growth and development in Japan. Additionally, policy legislation, revision, and implementation have not been given the deserved priority in Kenya. We conclude that Kenyan forest policy would benefit from both revision and thorough implementation. We also discuss the role of indirect factors such as economic growth and availability of nonwood-based energy sources in the future of Kenya’s forests. |
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| Keywords: | Forest cover forest policy iwoody biomass utilization Kenyan forestry sustainable forest management (SFM) |
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