SOCIAL CULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS

For thousand of years, forests have been associated with various communities as part and parcel of their lives. Take an example of the Ogiek community in Kenya who live in the Mau forest. The name Ogiek means ''care taker of all plants and animals''. Implying the Ogiek are foresters and conservators of nature. The sacred Kaya forest in the Kenyan coastal forest is used by the Mijikenda community in the worship of ancestors. The Ba'ka people in the Congo forest are traditionally hunters and gatherers living on bush meat, honey, wild fruits, honey, medicine among others. The Tacana people of Madidi forest in Bolivia depend on the forest for food and medicine. But these importance is on the verge of extinction due to illegal logging, poaching, climate change, construction of dams among other vices. Let us be on the fore front to protect our forests in order to safe guard our cultures for the sake of the present and future generations.

DESTROY FORESTS AT OUR OWN PERIL

Forests play an important ecological role besides the economics as we have known them for. In Africa and Kenya in particular forests have been reduced to a mere one percent and the effects are starting to be seen. Example river Mara which is home to the annual wildebeest migration is threatened of drying up because the mau forest has been degraded a lot and politicians have not spared it either. The riparian forests and vegetation along river have been cleared at an alarming rate that the rates of eutrophication are self evident with the water hyacinth increasing coverage on lake Victoria. This is because the gallery forests that used to trap the sediments are no longer their. Forests are a habitat to wild animals like the black and white colobus monkey, but it is a sad story when you visit Saiwa swamp national park, the forest coverage is so small, that the whole forest has been fenced to reduce a possible human wild life conflict. The onus is on you and me to reduce the impacts on the forests and promote sustainable development.OPTIMIZATION AND NOT MAXIMIZATION IS THE KEY.

WHO OWNS WILDLIFE?

The local community when invaded by wild animals like elephants or lions. They usually say that the goverment should come and pick their animals. The goverment on its side says, all the flora and fauna belongs to it. So am wondering if the community feals alienated in the management of wildlife resources and also in enjoying the benefits, how shall conservation take place. Help me out in this puzzle

HOW SHOULD THE WORLD TAME CHINA'S APPETITE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Currently the demand for ivory,rhino horn,pangolins,lizards among others is driven by china. what do you think can be done before its too late. Its now too much to bear.

DEVELOPMENT IN CONSERVATION

Development and conservation are mutually exclusive, since natural resources are required for development to occur. But development has to be controlled with necessary laws. This is to prevent development  interceding into conservation. And if the worst occurs then disasters are bound to happen, take an example of the proposed serengeti highway,if the project takes place, then an ecological disaster of bibilical magnitude will occur. The onus is on you and me to controll our apetite for development.

SHOULD PROTECTED AREAS BE FENCED IN A BID TO KEEP AWAY THE POACHERS AND REDUCE HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICTS?