The Mau Forest in Kenya is one of the region's most important natural resources. Yet despite this, deforestation is happening there at an unsustainable rate, leading many to worry that irreversible damage is being done.
What's happening?
Mongabay reported the forest has lost over 25% of its tree cover in the last 40 years due to human pressures. They specifically cited data from the Global Forest Watch, which found that rates of deforestation ramped up even higher in 2023 and 2024.
This is largely attributed to agricultural expansion, which is often accompanied by slash-and-burn techniques. Slash-and-burn utilizes fire to clear lands for cattle grazing and crop cultivation, and research found these fires accounted for 14% of the forest loss between 2012 and 2017, per Mongabay.
They cited researcher Stefanie Mehlich, who wrote: "The Mau Forest region is one of many examples where protection status does not guarantee protection of the forest ecosystem, prevention of excessive resource extraction, or illegal human activity."
Why is deforestation so concerning?
The Mau is critical for East Africa as a water catchment; without it, millions of people would lose their water supply.
Trees soak up water through their leaves and roots, naturally filter it, and return it to the water supply via the air and the ground. This means that forests allow much more clean, fresh water to be available for human consumption than the equivalent amount of unforested land, as the European Forest Institute explains.
Losing tree coverage also leads to other ecosystem-wide issues like soil erosion, flooding, wind damage, and drought. And at a time when reduced rainfall and low water levels are already threatening crops, Mongabay explained, every square acre of Mau that is lost makes a difference.
Additionally, the flora and fauna in Mau are in danger of losing their habitat, undermining the life-sustaining biodiversity of the entire region. Several rare plants and species are at risk, including the African bush elephant, African golden cat, and bongo antelope.
What's being done to preserve Mau?
Several local groups in Mau, like the Paran Women Group and Bamboo Junction, are working to combat deforestation via direct reforestation efforts, as well as through education and poverty reduction.
Mongabay quoted Wilfred Sanlam with Bamboo Junction, who said, "Poverty in this area is driving deforestation, but we are trying to educate the community on the dangers of cutting trees."
Similar efforts are underway in forests around the world, from the Amazon to Germany to Arizona.
Research has found that both reforestation and allowing for natural regrowth can be highly effective. And people have no shortage of ideas, from dropping seeds in hard-to-reach areas using drones to employing community members as forest-stewarding beekeepers.
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