Big3Africa.org

Mau forest complex, one of the five main water towers in Kenya, has for a long time been under threat from human activities, that undermine its ecological, economic and climatic value.

For over 15 years, PELIS has been hailed as a clever way to expand tree cover, boost local incomes, and foster community stewardship of forests. But it has also been criticized for fueling corruption, enabling farmland encroachment, and sacrificing biodiversity in the name of expanding tree cover.

The new rules, found in what’s known as the EU Deforestation Regulation, are part of a wider effort to ensure European consumption doesn’t drive global deforestation.