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afrol News, 19 November - Citing the risk of unprecedented negative environmental and human impacts from the "degazettment" of nearly 170,000 acres of public forests, Kenyan environmentalist groups urged the government to postpone its plans until thorough environmental impact assessments can be conducted. In a position statement delivered in Friday, Kenyan members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) said the degazettment - moving the forest from public ownership, thus allowing development of the land - could worsen the water supply situation for urban populations, farmers and dams, and increase deforestation and soil degradation. The Kenyan environmentalists in their statement recognise "the valuable role the Government of Kenya has played in enacting the new Environmental Management and Coordination Act (1999), as well as the Government's commitment to the reduction of poverty through the Poverty Reduction Strategy processes." The degazettment is part of the government's poverty reduction strategy. The IUCN members joined earlier critics, including UN consultants, in referring to the Conventions on Biological Diversity and on Climate Change in 1994, and the Treaty of the East African Community in 2000, which the Kenyan government has ratified. These instruments "contain important clauses relating to responsible environmental management and the sustainable use of natural resources, and by ratifying them the Government of Kenya has made commitments to improved environmental management," the protesters warned. - We are, however, very concerned with the decision by the Government of Kenya to degazette about 170,000 acres of forest, the statement reads. "We feel that such degazettments will negatively impact on a range of very important environmental functions, especially catchment protection and biodiversity conservation as well as water quality and quantity, in areas which are important for conservation." Environmentalists claim the degazettment could lead to a worsening water supply situation for urban populations, farmers and dams. In addition, it could "result in increased deforestation and subsequent soil degradation." The magnitude of this degazettment is unprecedented, and it will further reduce Kenya's already small area under forest reservation (from 2% to 1.9%). It is claimed that this is likely to also impact on the Nation's preparedness to manage natural disasters, particularly in times when climatic fluctuations appear to be increasing. The environmentalists thus strongly urged the Kenyan government "to exercise caution and restraint concerning the proposed excisions in order to avoid serious environmental and socio-economic consequences." They proposed to the government it should postpone "the implementation of the current degazettments, pending a transparent and professional Environmental Impact Assessment for all the affected areas." Other lobbyists also have urged the government to proceed with the large-scale privatisation. The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Kenyan Green Belt Movement reportedly are planning to sue the government over the issue, claiming it is unlawful to the Forest Act and other national laws. If the lawsuit is accepted by a Kenyan court, it might delay or even stop the reform. A workshop earlier this year brought together people from communities in the areas affected by the degazettment, environmental lobbies, consultants, United Nations agencies and Kenyan officials. Speakers on the workshop told the Nairobi-based 'Nation' the plan to degazette nearly ten per cent of Kenya's gazetted forests was "largely driven by the greed for riches and political power by a small clique in the government." Participants were informed on how the alienation could threat the country's two main water catchment systems. - These are the same people who took the rich and prominent on ADC farms under the guise of settling the landless, Mr Joseph K. Rotich from Kericho told 'The Nation', referring to government officials. "How can we trust them now?" he asked.
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