CORRELATION BETWEEN LOCATION OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (ROADS, RANGER POSTS AND FENCE) IN THE ABERDARE RANGES
Abstract
Purpose of the Study: To determine the correlation between the location of illegal activities and infrastructure (roads, ranger posts, and fences) in the Aberdare Ranges.
Statement of the Problem: Forest loss in mountain ecosystems, driven by factors such as agriculture, forest fires, and commercialization of forest products, is rapidly increasing. The impact of infrastructure, specifically roads, ranger posts, and fences, on illegal activities in the Aberdare Ranges remains inadequately understood, despite the area’s ecological importance.
Methodology: The study utilized routine ecological monitoring data collected by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Aberdare Joint Surveillance Unit (AJSU). KWS collected data during elephant surveys in 2017 and 2021, while AJSU continuously collected data on illegal activities from 2017 to 2021. A total of 955 records were collated from 2015 to 2021 to form a dataset for analysis. Data was analyzed using ArcMap 10.8 and R software to assess the relationship between infrastructure (roads, fences, guard posts) and illegal activities.
Findings: The study found a significant correlation between the proximity of illegal activities and various types of infrastructure (road, fence, KFS station, and KWS park gates). Most illegal activities occurred closer to roads and fences compared to KWS and KFS stations. This proximity suggests that infrastructure may facilitate illegal activities in protected areas.
Recommendations: The study recommends that infrastructure development in protected areas should consider diverse factors, including environmental, social, and economic implications in both the short and long term.
Keywords: Location of illegal activities, infrastructure roads, ranger posts, fence, Aberdare ranges
References
Chakravarty, S., Ghosh, S. K., & Suresh, C. P. (2011). Deforestation: Causes, Effects and Control Strategies, 3–29.
Chuah-Petiot. (1997). Contributions toward a Bryoflora of the Aberdare Range, Kenya. Tropical Bryology, 13:57-63.
Critchlow, Rob & Plumptre, Andrew & Driciru, Margaret & Rwetsiba, A. & Stokes, Emma & Tumwesigye, Charles & Wanyama, F. & Beale, Colin. (2015). Spatiotemporal trends of illegal activities from ranger-collected data in a Ugandan national park: Trends in Illegal Activities. Conservation Biology. 29. 10.1111/cobi.12538.
East African Wild Life Society. (2023). EAWLS Objects to road upgrade threatening Aberdare Ecosystem. Nairobi: East African Wild Life Society.
Ferguson, K., & Hanks, J. (Eds.). (2010). Fencing Impacts: A review of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of game and veterinary fencing in Africa with particularreference to the Great Limpopo and Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Areas. Mammal Research Institute, Pretoria.
Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2015). Global Forest Resources Assessment
Global Forest Watch. (2020, November 7). Global Forest Watch, Kenya. Retrieved from Global Forest Watch:
https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/KEN/
Global Forest Watch. (2023). Global Forest Watch, Kenya. Retrieved from Global Forest Watch: https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/KEN/
Hembery, R., Jenkins, A., White, G., & Richards, B. (2007). Wild Wildlife Fund, Illegal Logging Cut It Out! The UK's role in the trade in the illegal timber and wood products
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) & Kenya Forest Service (KFS). (2010). Aberdare ecosystem Management Plan, 2010–2020.
Koech, G. (2022, September 12). KenHa cancels tender for Sh4.4bn road through fragile Aberdare ecosystem. The Star. https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/central/2022-09-11-kenha-cancels-tender-for-sh44bn-road-through-fragile-aberdare-ecosystem/
Lawson, S., & MacFual, L. (2010). Illegal Logging and Related Trade: Measuring the Global Response. Analysis, (1 November), 1–132. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9388.2005.00421.x
Massey, A. L., King, A. A., & Foufopoulos, J. (2014). Fencing protected areas: A long-term assessment of the effects of reserve establishment and fencing on African mammalian diversity. Biological Conservation, 162-171.
Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2018). National Climate Change Action Plan (2018-2022). Nairobi: The Republic of Kenya.
Nairobi City water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), (2020). Our Sources. https://www.nairobiwater.co.ke/index.php/en/services-nwc/our-sources
Perumal, L., Mark, G. N., Matthias, J., & Wei, L. (2021). The impact of roads on sub-Saharan African ecosystems:. Environmental Research Letters,16, 113001.
Rytwinski, T., & Fahrig, L. (2015). The impacts of roads and traffic on terrestrial animal populations. In R. v. Ree, D. J. Smith, & C. Grilo, Handbook of Road Ecology (pp. 237-246). United Kingdom, UK: y John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Scoon, Roger. (2016). Geotraveller 26 (June 2016) Aberdare and Mount Kenya. Geobulletin. 59. 42-49. 10.13140/RG.2.2.18952.67846.
Sharma, R., Rimal, B., Stork, N. E., Baral, H., & Dhakal, M. (2018). Spatial Assessment of the Potential Impact of Infrastructure Development on Biodiversity Conservation in Lowland Nepal. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-information, 7(9), 365. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi7090365
Twyman, Chasca & Dougill, Andrew & Thomas, David. (2002). Community fencing in open rangelands: Self-empowerment in Eastern Namibia. Review of African Political Economy. 27. 9-26. 10.1080/03056240108704500.
Tyrrell, P., & Allan, J. (2020). Evaluating the socio-economic potential of road development projects around the Aberdare range. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32054.93767
