Digital Innovation in Forest Management: Insights from Kenya

Forests play a crucial role in stabilising our climate by regulating ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, absorbing carbon, and reducing soil erosion. However, forests and forest-related livelihoods remain under threat from deforestation and forest degradation. Consequently, halting forest loss and degradation, and promoting forest restoration, are central components of global climate mitigation and sustainable development strategies.

Earlier this year, the GSMA ClimateTech programme, through funding provided by UK Aid, conducted new research to explore how mobile technology could be leveraged to strengthen participatory forest management (PFM) efforts in Kenya. Although Kenya presented its own highly-contextualised challenges and opportunities, our research identified cross-cutting findings that we believe could also shape the opportunity for digital innovation in other countries that implement PFM approaches. There is clear demand and a growing need for digital tools that can tackle the persistent challenges that community groups and other stakeholders encounter as they work to protect and regenerate forests.

In this one-hour session, GSMA will share high-level findings from the research project, and will be joined by three other experts whose organisations are using digital technology to enhance Kenya’s forest management efforts, improve local livelihoods, and promote better access to climate finance. 

Agenda:

• Welcome and Introduction: Matt Wilson, Insights Director at GSMA
• Insights from GSMA’s research project on Participatory Forest Management: Nikki Kitson, Insights Manager at GSMA
• Driving digital innovation in forest management: Michael Koech, Environment and Climate Change Manager at Safaricom and Jamlek Ndambiri, Principal  Conservator of Forests and lead for the Forest2020 initiative at Kenya Forest Service
• Financing forest management: Jon Ridley, Co-Founder and COS at 4R Digital
• Audience Q&A