KENYA

Kenya’s forests are mostly ‘montane’ forests (mixed forests with more than 30% canopy cover), which are widely scattered and generally degraded. According to the UN, Kenya’s forest cover has reduced from 12% to 1.2% in 2010 as a result of subsistence agriculture, plantation expansion and encroachment by up to 600,000 illegal settlers. Deforestation rates are slowly decreasing, but are still at around 1% annually.

In 1999, the government introduced a partial logging ban, which allowed only four large sawmill companies limited rights to exploit state forests and replenish them through an afforestation programme. However, conservationists criticised the ineffective implementation of the scheme. The ban is due to be lifted following a government announcement in August 2010; this has been welcomed by industry representatives and NGOs alike, many of whom have criticised the ban for resulting in increased logging in public forests, for distorting the market and for driving the logging trade onto the black market.

During the unrest in Kenya in early 2008, illegal operators took advantage of the situation by logging endangered sandalwood trees and other valuable species in the Rift Valley and burning large tracts of forest. Death threats were issued to forest guards and their offices set alight. Since then, the government has attempted to crack down on illegal operators. A specially established squad carried out a number of raids, impounded timber and made arrests.

The crisis in Kenya’s key watersheds due to rapid deforestation has recently been well documented. Rivers and lakes have shrunk and 2009 saw a record drought. Government attempts to protect these vital ecosystems resulted in the first moves against the vast illegal settlements in 2005, when 10-15,000 families were evicted from the edge of the Mau Forest in the Rift Valley. The government began a new push to evict settlers in 2009 and has introduced a programme to plant 7.6 billion trees by 2030 to attempt to reverse the damage.

Kenya is one of 14 countries which will receive funds under the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, which will reward countries for preserving their forest cover. The countries will receive grants to build their capacity for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), including establishing emissions reference levels, adopting strategies to reduce deforestation, and designing monitoring systems.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
05/11/2012	The Role and Contribution of Montane Forests and Related Ecosystem Services to the Kenyan Economy The montane forests of Kenya, better known as Kenya’s “Water Towers”, produce direct ...	UNEP / UN-REDD Programme / Kenyan Government / Kenya Forest Service
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18/02/2011	REDD Integrity: Addressing Governance and Corruption Challenges in Schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) The authors of this U4 Report note that donor-backed programmes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation ...	Chr. Michelsen Institute (Peter Bofin, Mari-Lise du Preez, André Standing & Aled Williams)
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01/12/2010	Chainsaw Milling: Supplier to Local Markets Chainsaw milling, the on-site conversion of logs into lumber using chainsaws, is supplying a large proportion ...	ETFRN (European Tropical Forest Research Network)
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01/02/2008	Forest Products Trade between China and Africa: An Analysis of Imports and Exports Recent media coverage of China's efforts to secure access to natural resources in Africa suggests ...	Forest Trends (Kerstin Canby, James Hewitt, Luke Bailey, Eugenia Katsigris, Sun Xiufang)
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22/11/2005	Failing the Forests: Europe's Illegal Timber Trade Based on trade data for six key timber-producing regions – the Amazon Basin, the Baltic States, ...	WWF
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01/04/2004	Lessons Learnt on Sustainable Forest Management in Africa: Study on Forest Administration and Related Institutional Arrangements This study is a component of a wider initiative jointly undertaken by the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture ...	Owino, Prof. F (Forest Resources International, Kenya) & Ndinga, Dr A (Dakar Fann, Senegal)
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
19/04/2013	UN-backed partnership helps Kenyans protect forests, improve livelihoods A United Nations-backed project in Kenya is protecting forests and wildlife, as well as providing alternative ...	UN News Centre
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26/03/2013	Wanton deforestation threatens anti malaria tree species in Kenya Increased deforestation and over exploitation of trees species that have anti-malarial qualities has ...	Standard Digital News, Kenya
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05/11/2012	Cost of deforestation in Kenya far exceeds gains from forestry and logging, UN joint study finds A landmark study of Kenya’s high-elevation forests shows that the economic cost of deforestation ...	UN News Centre
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01/11/2012	Corrupt officials aid destruction of Kenya's Mau Forest Nairobi - A syndicate involved in illegal logging of indigenous trees from Kenya’s largest forest ...	Reuters AlertNet
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31/07/2012	East Africa's forests shrink, especially near parks Forests in East Africa have shrunk over the past years, especially around the fringes of parks, complicating ...	Planet Ark (Reuters)
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31/05/2012	Kenya: Politicians to blame for deforestation Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa has blamed politician's for keeping quiet as people destroy ...	allAfrica.com
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30/04/2012	Crack down on all illegal logging activities, President directs KFS President Mwai Kibaki has directed the Kenya Forest Service to crack down on illegal loggers as well ...	The Star, Kenya
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21/04/2012	East Africa’s forest cover depleting at alarming rate East Africa has lost more than 22 million hectares of forest cover in the past two decades, as pressure ...	The East African
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21/02/2012	Conservation is priceless for Kenyan forest The people of Kilifi County value the protection of the complex ecosystems of Arabuko Sokoke above the ...	The Guardian, UK
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10/10/2011	Kenya: forestry officers - Forest Director denies logging charge Kenya Forest Service Director David Mbugua and Kirinyaga Zonal Forest Officer Francis Misonge were on ...	allAfrica.com
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03/10/2011	Kenya: Forest rangers arrest man after battle with loggers Forest Rangers yesterday engaged 30 illegal loggers at Mucheene Forest Station in Meru county and arrested ...	allAfrica.com
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25/09/2011	Deforestation hits Kenya’s forests Deforestation is said to be hitting Kenya's forests as residents heap complains at the doors of ...	Africa News
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17/09/2011	Welsh generosity helps Size of Wales rainforest drive People in Wales are doing their bit to help preserve rainforests in east Africa from deforestation. ...	BBC News
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16/09/2011	Kenya: Loggers invade Tumu Tumu forest Residents of Tumutumu area in Mathira West district are protesting over illegal loggers and charcoal ...	allAfrica.com
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17/06/2011	UN forest protection talks fail to move fast enough, Kenya says United Nations talks on protecting forests aren’t moving fast enough even though voluntary projects ...	Bloomberg
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30/04/2011	Climate change measures must be made corruption proof As governments prepare to spend up to US$100 billion annually by 2020 to limit climate change and prepare ...	Transparency International
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21/04/2011	Antimalarial trees in East Africa threatened with extinction Scientists call for more research, conservation of trees to harvest potential for next generation of ...	EurekAlert!
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21/04/2011	Kenya: Kipini residents defy order to leave forest Over 2,000 people accused of invading a government forest in Kipini, Lamu and causing massive destruction ...	allAfrica.com
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23/03/2011	PUMA goes carbon neutral by protecting lions in Kenya PUMA, the sporting goods brand, and its parent company PPR will offset their 2010 carbon dioxide emissions ...	Mongabay.com
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23/02/2011	Conservation projects in Guatemala and Nepal win UN environment prize A forest conservation initiative in Guatemala and a sustainable development project in Nepal are the ...	UN News Centre
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18/02/2011	Kenyan project issues world's first REDD forest credits The first officially verified greenhouse gas credits under the pioneering UN-backed Reduced Emissions ...	Business Green
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02/02/2011	The world's 10 most threatened forest hotspots As UN marks 2011 the International Year of Forests, Conservation International highlights forest ecosystems ...	Conservation International
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14/12/2010	Kenya: New laws legalise sustainable charcoal trade to save forests The new charcoal rules which are currently being enforced by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) seek to regulate ...	allAfrica.com
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19/11/2010	Dire shortage of timber forcing merchants to import commodity Nairobi - A chronic timber shortage has hit Kenya forcing the country to turn to expensive imports from ...	Coast Week, Kenya
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02/11/2010	20,000ha Mau land restored More than 23,000 hectares of illegally excised land has been recovered in the restoration of Mau Forest ...	Daily Nation, Kenya
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22/08/2010	Sawmillers upbeat over plan to lift logging ban Sawmillers have welcomed a government plan to lift the ban on logging imposed 10 years ago. ...	Daily Nation, Kenya
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17/05/2010	Corruption, mismanagement strangle vital Kenyan watershed Nakuru, Kenya - The wooded ridge rising to the west of this bustling provincial capital is the home of ...	The New York Times
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15/01/2010	Kenya water resource faces danger Nairobi - Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai has warned that if Kenyans are not insistent in protecting forests, ...	Capital FM Kenya
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23/11/2009	With land evictions, Kenya aims to reduce impacts on important ecosystem The Kenyan government has begun forcibly evicting thousands of people in an attempt to halt environmental ...	The New York Times
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22/11/2009	Kenya: 1,000 trees planted in nation's green drive ...	allAfrica.com
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16/11/2009	Thousands of illegal settlers evicted from Kenyan forest Nairobi - Illegal settlers in one of Kenya’s largest forests were evicted from their land last ...	The National, Abu Dhabi
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29/10/2009	Africa: African governments and outside powers must be accountable On the eve of the climate change summit in Copenhagen this December, momentum for action still falls ...	allAfrica.com
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05/10/2009	Redd in Africa: 'how we can earn money from air by harvesting carbon' Kenyan ranch shows how UN scheme could protect forests that absorb CO2 and earn billions of dollars for ...	Guardian, UK
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25/09/2009	Africa's burning charcoal problem At a road block in western Tanzania, miles from anywhere, a uniformed official raises a flagged barrier. ...	BBC News
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15/09/2009	Maathai wants Mau evictions now Nairobi, Kenya - Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai has challenged the government to kick out Mau forest ...	Capital News, Kenya
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10/09/2009	Kenya: Another water tower on the verge of being wiped out as Mau saga rages Nairobi — Even as the country is engrossed with the fate of the Mau water tower, another key forest ...	allAfrica.com
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09/09/2009	UN backs Kenyan appeal for $81 million to restore critical forest area Kenya launched an appeal for $81 million to fund efforts halting the degradation of its Mau Forests Complex, ...	UN News Centre
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24/08/2009	Watch out! Disaster looming for Kenya Politicians cared little about the burning of East Africa's largest forest - until the lights in ...	The Independent, UK
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12/08/2009	Kenya to plant 7.6 billion trees to check deforestation Nairobi - Kenya said on Wednesday it would plant 7.6 billion trees over the next 20 years to redress ...	ElEconomista.es, Spain
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10/08/2009	The wildebeest river is running dry The animals' stampede through the Mara river is one of nature's most spectacular events. But ...	The Independent, UK
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04/08/2009	Families face eviction as Kenya tries to save forest Mau Forest, Kenya - Ogiek elder Kipkurui Paul Terer faces imminent eviction from the forest area where ...	Reuters
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13/07/2009	Going green with REDD To combat the effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions, the United Nations Collaborative ...	The East African, Kenya
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02/07/2009	REDD readiness plans for Panama, Guyana approved but rejected for Indonesia The World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) has approved REDD readiness plans (R-Plans) ...	Mongabay.com
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27/06/2009	Tourism deserts Baringo as lakes dry up ...	Daily Nation, Kenya
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02/06/2009	Merchants of the night are Mau's fresh threat A heavily loaded lorry revs in a dark path carrying its load uphill. Its headlights are off and only ...	The Standard, Kenya
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20/05/2009	Kenya's concerted conservation It is 20 years since a small group of Kenyan conservationists set out to protect the few remaining black ...	Mail & Guardian Online, South Africa
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10/05/2009	Electric fences to stop invasion of Kenya nature parks Armed guards doubled to protect wildlife reserves from farmers desperate for food and water as climate ...	Guardian, UK
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05/05/2009	War on climate change stepped up Kenya President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have launched a programme to plant 60 million ...	Daily Nation, Kenya
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16/04/2009	Kenya signs its first REDD deal to conserve forests ...	Mongabay.com
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28/02/2009	Timber dealers now target indigenous trees Kenya - The rising demand for timber in Kenyas coastal towns has driven merchants turning to mango and ...	East African (Kenya)
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09/11/2008	Failure to implement protection laws decimating forests in Eastern Africa Even as the effects of climate change continue to bite, deforestation and land degradation continue unabated ...	Africa Science News Service (Kenya)
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22/10/2008	Forests at risk over intruders The countrys forest cover and biodiversity is threatened by mass encroachment by people hungry for land, ...	Daily Nation (Kenya)
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21/10/2008	Forestry service calls on State to lift logging ban The Kenya Forestry Service has joined the campaign for lifting of the partial logging ban slapped by ...	Business Daily, Kenya
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18/10/2008	State urged to lift ban on logging of timber Kenya - The government has been urged to lift the partial logging ban to avoid wastage in forests and ...	Daily Nation (Kenya)
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03/10/2008	Six GSU officers arrested over illegal logging in Molo Six armed GSU officers have been arrested engaging in illegal tree harvesting at Logoman Forest in Elburgon, ...	The Standard, Kenya
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10/09/2008	Where residents would prefer jail to plundering their forest It is a forest like no other. And for its uniqueness, it is being used as a case study in conservation ...	Daily Nation (Kenya)
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24/07/2008	14 countries win REDD funding to protect tropical forests Fourteen countries have been selected by the World Bank to receive funds for conserving their tropical ...	Mongabay.com
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14/05/2008	Kenya: Logging ban boosts trade Commercial tree growing has become a multi-billion shilling sector business in Western Kenya region - ...	allAfrica.com
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24/02/2008	Kenya: Squad to Curb Illegal Logging ...	AllAfrica.com
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21/02/2008	Timber traders count their losses as prices increase Kenya - These days, Kelly Kioko, a furniture trader in Gikomba Market, idles in this dusty and noisy ...	Business Daily Africa (Kenya)
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13/02/2008	Kenya: Loggers Capitalise on Violence in North Rift to Venture Into Forests Kenya - Forests in parts of North Rift region have not escaped the effects of political unrest occasioned ...	AllAfrica.com
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18/01/2008	Illegal loggers invade forest and cut down trees More than 2,000 exotic and indigenous trees worth more than Sh1.2 million have been destroyed by illegal ...	Daily Nation (Kenya)
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15/09/2007	More needs to be done on forest policies, says study Even though Kenya has made significant progress in formulating forest laws and policies for effective ...	The Standard (Kenya)
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12/12/2006	Kenya: Saving Forests By Cutting Down Trees Kenya - High demand for timber may soon cause a lifting of the ban on harvesting, which has been in force ...	AllAfrica.com
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11/12/2006	Forests still being depleted, despite ban Kenya - About five years ago, the government announced a ban on logging after realizing that saw-millers ...	Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (Kenya)
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07/12/2006	New report gives direction to IBA conservation in Kenya A report from NatureKenya (BirdLife in Kenya) sheds new light on the changing challenges and pressures ...	BirdLife International (UK)
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19/07/2006	Loggers, carvers threaten pristine coastal woodland Kenya - Pristine forest threatened by illegal logging. ...	Standard (Kenya)
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17/07/2006	Kenya: Loggers, Carvers Threaten Pristine Coastal Woodland Kenya - Beautiful birds singing in giant trees and butterflies fluttering their wings reduced our anxiety ...	AllAfrica.com
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08/06/2006	17 pit-sawyers arrested Uganda - Park rangers have arrested 17 illegal pit-sawyers and impounded 14 saws at Mt. Elgon national ...	New Vision (Uganda)
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03/06/2006	Forest Act to be enforced, says Kibwana Kenya - The Forest Act 2005 will be enforced from early next year, Environment minister Kivutha Kibwana ...	Standard (Kenya)
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30/01/2006	Traders Want Logging Ban Lifted Nairobi, Kenya - Timber traders have called on the Government to lift the ban on logging, saying that ...	AllAfrica.com
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12/01/2006	Logging: Forest patrols intensified The Kenya Wildlife Service will patrol Arabuko Sokoke forest day and night to protect it from illegal ...	Standard (Kenya)
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12/01/2004	Kenya - New Bill on forests set to be tabled in Parliament A new Bill that will see the recovery of the country's dilapidated forests will come to Parliament ...	East African Standard
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01/12/2003	The plunder of Kenya's forests continues… One month ago, Environment Minister, Dr Newton Kulundu, sent home — in a widely criticised move ...	East African Standard
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25/10/2003	Kenya suspends forestry staff More than 800 forestry officers in Kenya have been suspended while the government investigates alleged ...	BBC News
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PRESENTATIONS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
18/11/2010	Initiatives on forest governance monitoring: a field perspective from Kenya	Antti Erkkilä, University of Eastern Finland
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EVENTS

DATE	TITLE
Monday 6th December 2004	Commission For Africa ' Forest Programme Brainstorm A brainstorming session on illegal logging held in part to feed into the Commission for Africa Report, ...
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LINKS

TITLE	DESCRIPTION	REPORT
Africa Forest Communicators Network (Affcomnet)	Facilitated by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the Africa Forest Communicators Network is a voluntary partnership of forestry communication officers from both private and public sector organizations in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The network aims to strengthen forest communication capacity by sharing solutions and best practice techniques to address forestry issues and challenges in the region.	Broken link
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