Saving Kenya’s Forests

Category: Conservation | Date: Feb 05 2008 | By: admin

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has invited the public to submit comments on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Report for a project (Nairobi Water and Sewerage Emergency Physical Investment Project (NWSEPIP) Package 3) which will transverse the edge of Karura Forest and also go through Ngong Forest.

KFWG has seen the EIA, which is available at NEMA, Popo Road off Mombasa road, for anyone who wishes to have a look at it.

From the EIA, we have noted that the following:

The EIA report indicates that the project area includes among others indigenous trees like the “Muhugu”, Newtonia buchananii (mukoi), Trichilia roke (mutuati), Olea Africana, Croton dichogamus and Brachylaena hutchinsii in the two forests. For Karura Forest, the water and sewerage lines commences in Gigiri area and moves south westerly along the edges of Karura Forest through Kibagare to Kabete Reservoir in Loresho. For Ngong Road Forest, the report indicates that the line crosses the Nairobi – Kisumu railway line into Ngong Forest. The lines emerges and moves parallel to the Ngong Road but inside the forests across the proposed southern by-pass and the Nairobi – Eldoret oil pipeline. Still parallel to the Ngong Road, the lines terminates at Karen Township.

We have noted that clearance of forest vegetation along the water and sewerage line in both Karura and Ngong Road forests is stated as inevitable. Further vegetation clearance is also likely to occur from access routes to the line from the main road, construction of work area and stores. It is also important to note that the extent of any forest clearance and its impacts is not mentioned in the EIA report. Another concern is that key forest stakeholders including Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary Trust were not consulted according to the list provided in the report.

Considering the importance of Ngong Road and Karura forests, KFWG has made objections to the current layout proposal on the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Emergency Physical Investment Project (NWSEPIP) and has recommended that;

1. The physical layout of the water and sewerage line be re-evaluated to minimize/stop any forest vegetation clearing to the two forests.
2. The extent of any forest vegetation be outlined in the EIA report before any licenses is issued.
3. The views of key forest stakeholders including Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary, KFWG and others be sought and included in the EIA report before any license is issued.

Ngong road and Karura forests are the two most important indigenous remnant forests in the densely populated Nairobi City. These two forests are important catchment forest areas, offer recreation facilities to Nairobi residents and purify the polluted air from motor vehicles and industries around the city. These forests have been under a lot of pressure for private development in the recent past, which have successfully been resisted on the grounds of their importance. Clearance of any parts of these already threatened forests by any other means will only aggravate the situation.

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