• KFS has been grappling with a shortage of rangers, a move that has continued compromising the security of forest resources.
• Today, one ranger is taking care of 2,471 acres against the internationally recommended 988 acres.
Image: COURTESY
The Kenya Forest Service is adopting state-of-the-art technologies to sustainably manage forest resources.
KFS manages 6.4 million acres of forests and helps counties manage another 4.2 million acres. It has been grappling with a shortage of rangers, a factor that continues to compromise the security of forest resources.
One ranger currently takes care of 2,471 acres against the internationally recommended 988 acres.
On Friday, KFS top leadership was taken through a demonstration of the capabilities of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by Anavia, a Swiss company, in undertaking aerial surveillance on forest ecosystems.
KFS board chairman Peter Kinyua and Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau led the service in appreciating the capabilities of a drone—an Anavia HT-100 UAV.
The drone has an integrated electro-optical /infra-red/ultra-violet camera with capabilities of flying up to 400km on 13 litres of fuel per hour, at 100km/hr.
The service will adopt the drone as part of new technologies to complement its pre-existing systems.
KFS will map its forest resources and detect fire risks, among other aspects entailed in forest conservation, management and protection.
Already, through a multiagency approach within the security agencies, KFS has a fully fledged airwing division domiciled within the National Air Support Department. The drone becomes the latest new technology by KFS.
On September 11, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid witnessed the artificial intelligence technology being piloted in Kenya’s timber industry by an Estonian company.
Kaljulaid, who was at KFS headquarters in Karura, was accompanied by Environment CS Keriako Tobiko, his Defence counterpart Monica Juma, Environment PS Chris Kiptoo and Chief Conservator Kamau.
Others present were Kenya Forestry Research Institute CEO Joshua Cheboiwo, Kenya Water Towers Agency director general Julius Tonui and National Environment Trust Fund CEO Samson Toniok.
Anna-Greta Tsakna, the Timbeter CEO, said the technology will be a game-changer in how forest products are being managed.
The application aims to provide solutions for the timber industry to provide faster monitoring and control across the supply chain.
The system offers a simple and faster approach, from the currently used tedious and manual measuring processes.
Forest produce such as logs is electronically measured, geo-tagged and referenced with information stored within the platform, hence ensuring tracing of goods along the chain of custody.
CCF Kamau said there is a need to adopt innovative approaches within the wood industry to ensure effective, secure, and modern wood-measuring techniques that minimise waste and guarantee value addition of products for the benefit of both private and public sector players.
He said the technology that is a software application is currently being piloted in the country in collaboration with an Estonian company known as Timbeter.
“The technology is an artificial intelligence for accurate log detection-based timber measurement solution used to monitor and control the timber supply chain,” Kamau said.
The technology will be operational by the end of this year. It is effective in measuring the logs within two minutes after the harvesting period.
Kamau said the solution also supports law enforcement agencies to prevent illegal logging and better manage timber harvesting.
He said a planned harvesting period as illegal harvesting and over-harvesting will no longer be possible.
Anna-Greta Tsahkna, chief executive officer of Timbeter, said the technology is implemented in Kenya to strengthen sustainable forest management, increase transparency and accountability, improve monitoring and control of the chain of custody.
She said the technology is a digital timber measurement solution that uses machine learning technology and artificial intelligence to determine the number of logs, volume and diameter of each log, whether in a pile, on a truck or in a container.
The application can be downloaded through a mobile phone or iPad. The technology is both intended to benefit government forest officials and the private sector.
Timbeter has so far trained officials from KFS and is due to start training stakeholders in the industry such as timber growers, small-scale farmers, saw millers and officials from the Kenya Tea Development Agency.
Marta Juarez Ruiz, Timbeter foreign relations officer for Africa and Latin America, said the technology will help reduce theft of trees and increase fair trade.
Ruiz noted that the technology will help developing countries in reducing illegal logging and to become transparent on tree management.
The technology is already being used in Latin America and Africa, and so far has become effective in helping manage forests and movements of trees in Costa Rica, Poland, Georgia, Lithuania, Tanzania and South Africa.
Forest destruction in Kenya has been blamed on institutionalised corruption and the KFS system being replete with deep-rooted corruptive practices, lack of accountability and unethical behaviour.
In 2018, the government formed a task force that was aimed at looking at illegal forest activities in the country.
The damning report by the task force showed that KFS officials were overseen the wanton destruction of our forests, systematically plundered and pillaged water towers and were responsible for bringing Kenya’s environment to the precipice.
In the report, KFS officials had been accused of colluding with saw millers to underreport forest products in their transactions.
Image: COURTESY