Establishing a biocultural heritage territory to protect Kenya’s Kaya Forests: mid-term project workshop

Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), in collaboration with IIED, is implementing the project ‘Establishing a biocultural heritage territory to protect Kenya’s Kaya Forests’ in the Rabai Mijikenda community. Rabai sub-county forms part of the Coastal Forests global biodiversity hotspot, currently under threat. The project aims to conserve biodiversity and genetic resources in four sacred Kaya forests and across the landscape. It also aims to enhance livelihoods and establish a community institution for collective governance of the Rabai Biocultural Heritage Territory.

The mid-term project workshop brought together the community and key government agencies to review progress and challenges with establishing a collectively governed biocultural heritage territory in Rabai and develop strategies to address them.