Impact of the Implementation of Sustainable Forest Practices in the Buffer Zone on Dryland Forest Cover Change in Endau Forest, Kenya

Deforestation of dryland forests in Africa threatens their existence, which may lead to climate change and loss of biodiversity. The dryland forest cover has been reducing over time on global, regional, and even local scales. This study explores how the community's perceptions towards sustainable forest management practices in dryland ecosystems affect the forest cover. The primary objective was to establish the effects of the implementation of sustainable forest practices in the buffer zone of Endau Forest between 1979 and 2024. A cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 298 randomly selected household heads from the Endau location through structured questionnaires, and six key informants who were interviewed through a semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and thematic analysis were used to evaluate sustainable forest management. Satellite imagery from 1979, 1994, 2009, and 2024 was used to assess land cover changes. Results revealed an improvement of forest class from 3,397.32 hectares in 1979 to 6,465.05 hectares in 2009, followed by a decline to 5,727.04 hectares in 2024. Shrubland and bare land fluctuated over the years. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.868, p = 0.01) and significant regression (\(\beta\) = 0.149, p = 0.012) indicated that sustainable practices had a positive effect on forest cover. The findings underscore that sustainable forest practices are significant to dryland forest conservation. There is a need for policy interventions by training community forest to support sustainable forest management and community advocacy.