High in the hills of Kenya's Mau forest, some 20,000 families are facing eviction from their farms - accused of contributing to an ecological disaster which has crippled the country. Full Story »
Posted by Christoph Wienands - via NewsRack (Energy)
The article not only analyzes the likely cause of sever droughts in Kenya in recent years, but much more looks at the issues arising from those droughts from all sides. It cites environmental experts, interviews affected down-stream farmers as well as farmers in those forests who believe to have bought legitimate titles from allegedly corrupt politicians.
Mau forest is Kenya’s largest water tower – it stores rain during the wet seasons and pumps it out during the dry months. But during the past 15 years, more than 100,000 hectares – one quarter of the protected forest reserve – have been settled and cleared. Tearing out the trees at the heart of Kenya has triggered a cascade of drought and despair in the surrounding valleys.
