1 Challenges in forestry conservation in East Africa. Is community based forestry the key to forest survival? 1 By Kunga Ngece, East African Ecotourism Development and Conservation Consultants

East Africa’s forests are rapidly declining due to pressure from population increase and other land uses. Although most of the three East African states have enabling climatic systems for forest growth, only about 10 % of the land is forested. This puts so much strain to forests, that are supposed to support over 50 million people, all depending on the natural resources emanating from them. FAO’s Forestry Resource Assessment of 1990 puts Uganda as one of the countries with reasonable forest cover compared to its East African neighbors. However FAO warns that this state is quickly dwindling due to demand for more farmland or the increasing populations and the need or forest resources to maintain both urban and rural lives. With huge forests like Budongo and Mabira and tropical rain forests extending to the Congo basin, Uganda is lucky, although forest disintegration is quickly engulfing most of them. Tanzania is less lucky, although it enjoys a big-forested area from the Miombo woodlands. Kenya’s situation is the worst. FAO, 1990, through the Forest Resource Assessment report states only 2% forest cover for Kenya, way below the standard. Reduction of the forest cover is severely imparting on the climate, streams, wildlife and human populations. Perhaps a