Kenya: Kenya Forest Service has established the Capacity Development Project for Modern Technology (CDPMT) in Forest Fire Management with bilateral assistance from the Government of France.
The aim of the project is to respond to threats from forest fires and ultimately contribute to the strategic goal of achieving and maintaining 30% forest cover for environmental stability and socio-economic development of the country.
The project will, among other objectives, help the country to enhance its institutional capacity to manage forest fires effectively.
It will also build the capacities of various stakeholders to operate in an integrated forest fire management system and to enhance the training capacity of the Kenya Forest College (KFC) on forest fire management.
The utilization of advanced technology in fire management will also assist in providing information and data on the origin and cause of forest fires, which will be instrumental in the prevention of fire incidences.
The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Alex Lermarkoko, recently visited France on a mission to assess the progress of the delivery of various equipment for the project. The visit entailed the inspection of various hardware and software, including fire detection cameras, integrated surveillance and communication equipment, fire engines and troop carriers, among other equipment.
By the end of the project period, the Service will have benefited from the installation of a digital radio and video surveillance network for early detection of forest fires and mobilization of fast fire response, the supply of various fire fighting vehicles, specialized forest maintenance vehicles and drones in order to implement effective fire response and the supply of various personal protective equipment and tools to equip fire crews.
Forest fires pose a real threat to the survival of the existing forest ecosystems. Out of the 47 counties in Kenya, 20 of them are classified as having forest fire hotspots, and the situation is now being complicated further by the negative effects of climate change.
Over the last decade, the country has recorded 457 major fire incidences that resulted in a loss of 123,812.15 Ha. During the dry period experienced early this year, a total of 180 forest fire incidences totaling 789 ha were reported.
Whenever forest fires occur, they cause serious and irreparable damage to the forest ecosystems, including loss of biodiversity, human lives and property. The effects of forest fires are ecologically, socially and economically costly and destructive. All the efforts and achievements in afforestation and conservation can be wiped out within days.
The continued loss of forests over the years is compounded by the low institutional capacity of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to manage forest fires. The Service faces constraints that include inadequate personnel, inadequate forest fire management skills, outdated technologies in forest fire surveillance, detection and communication and inefficient firefighting equipment and tools, among other challenges.
 in Forest Fire Management){kind=link}