In recent times many developing countries have experienced degradation of their natural resource base namely forests, water, fisheries etc. The resource degradation has largely been blamed on the management regime of these resources. In this study we investigate the local evolution and current status of forest management regimes in Kenya.
Given concerns about corruption and sustainability of reforms in the forest sector, policy circles and the public are abuzz with debates on how to improve these reforms. There are also discussions as how to increase forest cover, reduce poverty and how to develop other regulatory and other management innovations to better address Kenya’s environmental and development challenges. Though the forest reform is still in its infancy stages, the experience thus far already provides many valuable insights for Kenyan policy makers.
The key issues regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of forest reforms include: the importance of policy, institutional and legal frameworks and improving the poverty reduction impacts by engaging local communities in forest management. We will draw lessons that the regime shift experiences provide regarding how best to design and implement forest management regimes in Kenya and neighbouring countries too.
