Deforestation in the Mau complex is threatening to cause an environmental disaster in Kenya, according to an alarming Sunday Nation article. The Mau forest complex, which is the largest forest area in Kenya, is home to the upper sources of nearly all of the main rivers on the west side of the Rift Valley, feeding Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru, and various other lakes. Silt coming from upstream is filling the lakes.
Economic activities using water from the Mau complex include hydro power, tea-growing and tourism, and these are estimated to be worth 20 billion Kenyan shillings per year (US$256 million). Kenya’s top tourist destination, the Maasai-Mara game reserve, is dependent on water flowing from the Mau forest. The value of tea produced in western Kenya in 2007 is estimated at 12.4 billion shillings.
These economic activities are now said to be under threat due to environmental degradation, as more than 250,000 acres of forest land have been destroyed in the past 10 years. Around 5.5 million people live in the area serviced by rivers originating in the Mau forest. The problems are said to have been caused by illegal settlements and illegal forest resources extraction, some of which are claimed to have involved corrupt activities by government officials.