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

Forest Degradation

Open Forest Degradation

In the FRL, forest degradation is a fall in canopy class within a natural forest stratum (dense to moderate or open, or moderate to open). Canopy improvement, the reverse, counts as enhancement. Between 2002 and 2018 canopy improvement (69,813 ha/yr) slightly exceeded degradation (59,736 ha/yr), but degradation rose sharply in 2014–2018.

Area degraded per year (fall in canopy class) by stratum
0100k50kNet 58k2002–2006Net 45k2006–2010Net 50k2010–2014Net 87k2014–2018Average 60k ha/yr
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Net average 2002–2018: 60k ha/yr
Area with canopy improvement per year by stratum
0100k50kNet 91k2002–2006Net 72k2006–2010Net 70k2010–2014Net 46k2014–2018Average 70k ha/yr
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Net average 2002–2018: 70k ha/yr

Main causes of degradation (National REDD+ Strategy)

  • Wood extraction for fuelwood, charcoal, timber and poles; over 99% of charcoal is made in earth kilns that convert only 10–15% of the wood.
  • Fire from wildfires, honey harvesting, pasture burning and charcoal making.
  • Livestock grazing: regional livestock movement is linked to about 75% of forest degradation and 95% of woodland degradation in the northern rangelands.
  • Since the 2018 moratorium on harvesting public plantations, logging has shifted to private plantations and farms.

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 2.2.2 and 3.1.6, Table 9.