TITLE:
Sustainable Forest Governance and Competing Land Use Interests: A Multi-Scale Analysis with a Case Study of Enoosupukia Forest, Kenya—A Systematic Literature Review
AUTHORS:
Patrick Peniki Ole Twala, Bessy Kathambi, Robert Kibugi
KEYWORDS:
Competing Claims, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), Barriers, Stakeholders
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: Forest governance serves as an essential component which enables worldwide sustainable development and environmental preservation. Forests provide the base for biodiversity protection and enable local communities to thrive and drive national economic development. The worldwide approach to forest conservation depends on multiple interacting land use interests. The situation becomes more complex because different interests compete when analyzing production factors. The competition for land use includes agricultural cultivation needs together with logging operations for cheap fuels, urbanization, industrial development and biodiversity conservation. The forest land-use crisis in Kenya requires immediate attention because the sector generates 3.6% of the country’s GDP annually. The Enoosupukia Forest ecosystem functions as a major forest in Narok County Kenya but faces identical problems. The forest has suffered from extensive deterioration because of economic demands for timber and charcoal production as well as agricultural expansion, livestock grazing and population growth. This review demonstrates that integrated and participatory governance frameworks act as essential tools to manage competing interests while supporting both ecological sustainability and community livelihoods.