Each day, charcoal dealers quietly cart away some 1,000 bags of charcoal from Dakatcha Woodland, an unprotected tract of community land that spreads about 50 kilometres away from Malindi.
The expansive woodland has survived numerous past attempts by “investors” who wanted it replaced with sugarcane and Jatropha shrubs for biofuel production.
But now, illegal charcoal burners seem to be having the last laugh. “We usually count five trucks a day, each with about 200 bags. Each tree makes three bags. This is 350 trees a day,” says Francis Kagema, the coast conservation coordinator of Nature Kenya, the country’s oldest environmental society.
Kagema says each hectare has approximately 1,600 trees. “We are losing 80 hectares per year to charcoal alone,” he says.
Dakatcha measures 180,000 hectares and is one of the last patches of the northernmost block of woodlands which used to extend from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique.
A community group formed to protect the forest five years ago – the Dakatcha residents forest association – says the destruction is “massive”.
The community recently set aside 20,051 acres of land for biodiversity conservation to protect the pristine forest and confirmed populations of Clarke’s Weavers birds and other globally important plants and animals.
Masha Lughanje, a community forest guard, says: “Commercial charcoal burners are destroying the forest and soon they will begin targeting the protected area.”
He says the community had initially been allowed small-scale charcoal burning, which was monitored.
They were supposed to cut selected trees and leave the indigenous trees alone.
At the same time, those engaged in charcoal trade had formed charcoal producers associations (CPAs) and planted trees in the areas where they had cut down others.
Juma Sifa, another resident and guard of Mulunguni forest in Dakatcha woodland, says the CPAs were infiltrated by illegal charcoal dealers.
“They were moving towards Dakatcha conservation area, as forests guards who have worked for five years on voluntary basis, we were unable to access the area,” he says.
The trees endangered by charcoal burning include Mchara, Mkulu, and Mnago, which are said to produce the best charcoal.
Brian Wambua, a Nature Kenya official who covers Magarini Sub County, in which Dakatcha woodland falls, faults Kenya Forest Service (KFS) saying they have left the issuance of charcoal burning and transportation permits to Community Forest Associations (CFAs) and the producers associations.
“Charcoal regulation should be defined by the authorities, not charcoal producers association.”
He says charcoal transporters have taken advantage of that to obtain licences.
Nature Kenya now wants all licences for charcoal to be suspended as they were only meant for Adu ranch, which is 20 kilometres away from Dakatcha.
The environmentalists also warn that if the production continues, they will delete Dakatcha from Important Bird Area list. Listed areas usually generate money from visiting bird-watchers.
Andrew Makoti, the Chief Officer Environment, Forest and Natural resources in Kilifi County, says Dakatcha forest management falls under county government but KFS has not devolved the function and are issuing charcoal transportation permits.
“Please note that the county government lacked the capacity in form of staff but on this note, interviews for sub county environment and natural resource officers were done on the 29th January, 2015,” he says.
Makoti says the county government advertised for 25 county forest guard positions and 50 per cent of them will be deployed to Dakatcha and Mwangea forests.
“We will also support the development of the Dakatcha forest participatory management plan and its implementation to enhance effective management of this forest,” he adds.
He points accusing fingers at KFS saying they should take responsibility for the destruction in Dakatcha.
“It’s my feeling that the trucks that transport charcoal at night are not licensed by the Magarini charcoal producers association and KFS should be responsible for that, and it could be a deliberate effort to jeopardise the resource before it is handed over to the county government,” he says.
This is not the first time Dakatcha woodland faces threats of destruction.
In 2010, environmentalists successfully stopped Green Africa Foundation from converting 50,000 hectares into a Jatropha plantation.
Wood fuel IN KENYA
- The UNEP Environment Crimes Report 2014 says in Kenya, charcoal provides energy for 82 per cent of urban and 34 per cent of rural households.
- The annual consumption is between 1 million and 1.6 million tonnes for 40 million citizens.
- Unep says charcoal burning and illegal logging are the two main threats to Kenya’s forests.
- The Forest (Charcoal) Rules, 2009 require all commercial charcoal producers to organise themselves and form Charcoal Producers Associations.
- KFS will then license the CPA to produce charcoal. The CPA should also ensure members implement reforestation and conservation plans for sustainable charcoal production.