Conservation of biodiversity in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya
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Date
2002
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Biodiversity and Conservation
Abstract
Using an economic approach to provide a rationale for rainforest conservation has been a
popular exercise in recent years. This paper uses such an approach to assess the net value of the Arabuko
Sokoke Forest in Kenya. The economic benefits associated with the forest derived by local and global
populations are estimated by combining evidence from existing studies and the results of a contingent
valuation study carried out by the authors. These benefits are set against the cost of preserving the forest
to the Kenyan Forest Department. Even when the opportunity cost of the forest land is omitted from the
costs of forest preservation, and when the revenues generated from the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) funded project are included, the costs of forest conservation outweigh the benefits. It is only when
non-use and existence values are included (which are not realised by the Kenyan population) that the
forest benefits exceed the costs. The paper concludes by arguing that, although some projects within the
Arabuko Sokoke Forest have been successful in capturing some of the economic value associated with
the forest, more needs to be done to design additional capture mechanisms so that a greater proportion of
the global benefit of the forest can be realised by local populations and local governments
Description
Keywords
Conservation, Biodiversity, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya
Citation
Muriithi, S. M. & Kenyon, W. (2002). Conservation of biodiversity in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Kenya.Biodiversity and Conservation 11: 1437–1450