Republic of KenyaKenya Forest ServiceKenya NFMS-FIPNational Forest Monitoring System – Forest Information PlatformHealthy Forests • Resilient Ecosystems • People and Nature • Data for Action

Forest Cover Change & Loss

Forest loss and gain, deforestation, degradation and land cover change, nationally and for every county.

Open Forest Cover Change & Loss

Deforestation Hotspots

Dryland forests account for about 62% of the deforested area, mainly through conversion to grassland, but montane and western rain forests produce most of the emissions because they hold far more carbon per hectare.

Annual emissions from deforestation by stratum
060M30MNet 54.8M2002–2006Net 39.1M2006–2010Net 48.7M2010–2014Net 50M2014–2018Average 48.2M t CO₂/yr
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Net average 2002–2018: 48.2M t CO₂/yr

Drivers and pressures

  • Conversion to agriculture: cropland grew from 8.9% to 11.4% of Kenya between 2002 and 2018.
  • Charcoal and fuelwood: biomass meets most household energy needs; charcoal accounts for about 60% of energy demand.
  • Population growth (about 50 million, 2.5% a year) and urbanisation.
  • Unregulated grazing in arid and semi-arid woodlands and dryland forests.
  • Large infrastructure: LAPSSET, Lamu Port, Isiolo, the standard gauge railway, Konza technology city, the Northern Corridor and the planned Tana Delta irrigation scheme.
  • Governance challenges: weak enforcement, overlapping mandates and limited funding and staff.

Why forest is lost: drivers (National REDD+ Strategy)

Drivers of deforestation and forest degradation (National REDD+ Strategy)

Wood supply and demand

Demand
41.7 million m³
Supply
31.4 million m³
Deficit today
10.3 million m³
Deficit by 2032
15 million m³

Underlying drivers

PopulationExpected to reach 66 million by 2030, about 70% rural
Wood deficitDemand 41.7 million m³ against supply 31.4 million m³ (deficit 10.3 million m³), rising to 15 million m³ by 2032
EconomyGrowing demand for construction timber and urban charcoal
TechnologyCircular saws recover about 30%; earth kilns convert 10–15% of wood to charcoal
Governance and policyWeak enforcement, political interference, historical land allocation irregularities
InsecurityCross-border insecurity and banditry in the north; illegal trade around Mt Elgon
CultureLarge herds valued, low value placed on standing forest
NaturalDrought

Source: National REDD+ Strategy, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, December 2021.

Source: Ministry of Environment and Forestry, The National Forest Reference Level for REDD+ Implementation, December 2019 (Kenya’s FRL submission to the UNFCCC). Chapters 3.1.6, 4.2.1 and 5.