Overview

ICRAF is managing the Tana-Kipini-Laga Badana Bush bushle land and seascape, which covers a huge diversity of ecosystems from coral reefs and mangroves to coastal forests, riverine forests, wetlands, acacia woodland, coastal scrub and semi desert for the BMP project.

These ecosystems have remarkable biodiversity including several threatened species: the Critically Endangered, Euphorbia tanaensis confined to Witu Forest Reserve, the Hirola Antelope, (critically endangered on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List) with an estimated global population of only a few hundred animals, the Aders’ Duiker (critically endangered and only recently discovered in the Boni Forest), Leatherback and Hawksbill Turtles (both critically endangered), the Tana River Mangabey (endangered, and only found in the Tana River primate reserve) and the African Elephant, Lion and African Wild Dog – found in small fragmented populations throughout the landscape which are also highly threatened and highly valuable species.

The ecosystems in the area are not properly managed and conserved as a result of increased agricultural expansion and encroachment, human- wildlife conflict, illegal logging, overexploitation of timber and non-timber products, from the habitats. In newly settled areas, parcels of land are cleared causing localized fuel wood shortages as well as soil exposure and erosion. Export of timber from indigenous tree species for the construction and furniture industries within and outside the reserves continues to exert pressure on the forest resources.

The most pressing conservation issues in the land and seascape are:

1. Massive planned infrastructure and agricultural developments (especially the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, dam developments on Tana River and biofuel production)
2. Deforestation and degradation of forest (from illegal logging and degradation through fires)
3. Inappropriate fishing practices and overfishing (e.g. foreign prawn trawlers in the Tana delta)
4. Unsustainable livelihoods for forest-dwelling and forest-neighbouring communities
5. Inadequate knowledge of biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the socio-economics of local communities for effective planning and management
6. Inadequate common vision approach to conservation initiatives
7. Lack of an overall integrated ecosystem based management plan

Protected areas in the land and seascape are suffering from lack of management capacity and resources. Some of the areas have no management plans, the boundaries are poorly defined (e.g. actual boundaries of Boni and Lunghi Forest Reserves are unknown) and some areas still await formal allocation. Several areas important for biodiversity have no form of protection at all.

For more information please download the project brochures here

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