Report warns of rising threats on key biodiversity areas

Pressure is mounting across Kenya’s key biodiversity areas as conservation efforts struggle to keep pace with rapid degradation.

A new status report released by Nature Kenya, which analysed 58 critical sites across the country, reveals that only five sites remain in favourable condition, while the majority, 31 sites, are now ranked as unfavourable.

Among the most distressed are the Busia grasslands, Kianyaga and Mukurweini valleys and Sio Port swamp.

“The four sites are not protected; they face a very high level of human activities. These unprotected,privately-owned sites face intense pressure from land conversion,” the report notes.

Dandora ponds, Kwenia, Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Marenji Forest, and Masinga reservoir are the only five sites that topped the list of stability.

The report also highlights a widening rift between national development and environmental preservation. Large-scale infrastructure projects, including the proposed Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway and a proposed nuclear plant in Kilifi, are increasingly encroaching on sensitive habitats like Mida Creek.

Mining is also an emerging concern. While extraction has yet to begin, prospecting for limestone in Chasimba, titanium in the Tana River Delta and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, and rare earth minerals at Mrima Hill is intensifying. This industrial push, the report warns, is pushing ecosystems to the brink.

The report cites that climate change is further complicating the survival of these sites, altering weather patterns and triggering prolonged droughts that disrupt species migration. Major changes have been recorded within the Rift Valley lakes.

“Saline lakes are becoming fresher, causing a decline in the Lesser Flamingo’s food source,” says Paul Gacheru, a species expert at Nature Kenya.

He says that while the shift has attracted more freshwater birds, it threatens the delicate balance that has historically sustained the region's iconic flamingo populations.

The report also sounds the alarm on policy shifts, specifically citing the down-listing of Amboseli from a National Park to a National Reserve. This degazettement, the report warns, downgrades the site’s conservation profile and risks a decline in management standards.

The report warned that critical habitats are being sacrificed for agricultural expansion, most notably in Yala Swamp, where large-scale irrigation projects are threatening the wetland’s ecological integrity. Land conversion in the Kinangop Highlands, where grasslands are being replaced by woodlots, is also flagged as a growing threat alongside the growing crisis caused by pesticide runoff, leading to toxic bio-accumulation in Lake Nakuru.

Despite the mounting threats, the report documents critical conservation wins. Forest fires have decreased in the Taita Hills, the Aberdares, and Mount Kenya. In the Dakatcha Woodlands, seasonal wetlands supported a successful breeding season for the rare Kilifi Weaver, with 850 individuals recorded in 2024.

The Status and Trends report also revealed the stability of some rare bird species, such as the Taita Apalis population, which are only found in the Taita Hills.

Besides being critical sources of water, key biodiversity areas play a role in climate regulation. They also support agriculture, tourism, energy, and public health.

 Every year, the status of the sites are assessed to evaluate their condition while identifying prevailing threats, and reviewing conservation responses.