This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
Published on December 20, 2019, a recent study suggests that Kenya's protected areas and policies are not enough to conserve its less well-known mammals, birds, and amphibians.
At least 15% of the world's surface is governed by laws to protect its living species, but this is not enough. The most recent estimates suggest an additional 30% of the planet's surface needs further conservation attention.
Our research focuses on Kenya, examining whether the country's protected areas and policies adequately conserve its less well-known mammals, birds, and amphibians. We looked at 1,535 species, using a snapshot of the country's biodiversity due to the availability of data for these groups and because many are under threat.
Kenya's protected areas fall under three categories: national parks, national reserves, and conservancies. National parks and reserves cover about 8% of the country's land surface, while about 160 conservancies protect about 11% of Kenya's land.
Despite the current wildlife policy, which aims to protect species inside national parks and reserves and help landowners coexist with wildlife in conservancies, we found that only 16% of amphibian species, 45% of birds, and 41% of mammals are adequately conserved within government-run protected areas and conservancies.
Our research shows that new, innovative wildlife policies and practices are needed to adequately protect many species. We found that many of the areas with the highest number of different species are found where considerable human pressures exist, such as farmland areas, close to development, or rangelands.
Substantial conservation efforts outside protected areas are required to ensure the longevity of these species in Kenya. Kenya needs to prioritize conservation interventions at the national level, across land-use types, to conserve a large number of its mammals, birds, and amphibians.
Mr. Tyrrell, a PhD candidate and Mistler Graduate Scholar at the University of Oxford, contributed to this article.
