Friends of Karura Community Forest Association: A protected area managed by locals
The Karura Forest Reserve is one of the world’s largest forests fully within a major city limits, Kenya’s capital Nairobi. The 1,000 hectare upland sclerophyllus forest has been under threat from over-exploitation and unplanned development since it was gazetted in 1932. Kenya’s 2005 Forest Act made visionary provision for the establishment of Community Forest Associations (CFA) for each National Forest Reserve. In 2009, inspired by Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai’s campaign to rescue Karura and indeed all nation’s forests from greed-driven development, a group of the Karura Forest’s neighbouring stakeholders joined forces to establish and launch the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) CFA. Since then, with unprecedented support from local corporations and communities FKF and the parastatal Kenya Forest Service have worked together within the terms of a carefully-negotiated Joint Strategic Management Plan. The results speak for themselves: in less than a decade, Karura has revived from a place to be avoided to one of the places in Nairobi to be visited.
The half a million visits a year — three quarters of which are by Kenyans — demonstrate with their enthusiasm for the the project and their entrance fees that well-controlled, participatory forest management can achieve user-driven and sustainable protected area management.
Why is this case a good example of linking tourism and conservation?
Are there plans to further improve this example of tourism supporting conservation in the future?
Are there plans to further improve this example of tourism supporting conservation in the future?
How could this example be transferred to another protected area and knowledge be shared?
