The Coastal Forests of East Africa: Insights on Threats and Conservation

Le résumé fourni par la source

This chapter provides insights on the threats and possible ways to preserve coastal forest, which form one of the most distinctive and threatened ecosystems in East Africa region and the world. Due to the high diversity of rare and endemic flora and fauna species, the East African coastal forests are ranked among the biodiverse regions of the entire globe. Coastal forests save as a rich sources of food, fuel wood, building materials, and medicinal plants. They help to maintain a regular water supply for both humans and livestock. However, this valuable biodiversity is seriously disintergrated by a number of threats, including habitat 238 degradation, fragmentation, invasive species, climate change, and deforestation. This chapter examines the myriad threats leading to the destruction of coastal forests, as well as the wide-ranging regional and global implications. By analyzing the dynamics of the interplay between human actions and environmental systems, it elicits critical challenges to sustainable conservation including the unstable legal and institutional frameworks along with socioeconomic problems, hinder these efforts. This chapter provides immediate solutions to reduce the fast deterioration of forest resources while underlining the necessity of research and public awareness campaigns, and enhancing global collaboration. In the end, the chapter highlights the fundamental notion that safeguarding biodiversity in East African coastal forests requires collaborative efforts at local, regional, and global levels.

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