EastAfrica 2022 mangrove

Western Indian Ocean mangrove loss

EastAfrica 2022 ethiopiayayuregion

Yayu coffee forest threatened by coal industry

EastAfrica 2021 glacier

Climate change threatens rare glaciers

EastAfrica 2021 Madgascarfamine

Climate change causes devastating famine in Madagascar

EastAfrica 2020 Comoros

Deforestation leaves Comoros island dangerously low on water

EastAfrica 2020 giraffe

Poaching of rare white giraffes

EastAfrica 2020 lemurs

Madagascar's lemurs critically threatened

EastAfrica 2018

Last male northern white rhino dies

EastAfrica 2019 Madagascarvanilla

Madagascar's "vanilla wars" lead to deforestation

EastAfrica 2013 Niledam

Tensions rise between Ethiopia and Egypt over Nile dam

EastAfrica 2012 treespecies

Rediscovery of tree species thought to be extinct

EastAfrica 2011 HornofAfricadrought

Horn of Africa sees its worst drought in 60 years

EastAfrica 2001 forest

Forest cover falls 9% over 9 years

EastAfrica 1990 coastalforest

Coastal forest cover decreases by more than a third

EastAfrica 2007 protest

Protests over Ugandan deforestation turn deadly

EastAfrica 1994 Rwanda

Environmental effects of Rwandan genocide

EastAfrica 1993 Nationalparkuganda

Three mountain reserves established in Uganda

EastAfrica 1993 butterfly

The Kipepeo Project

EastAfrica-1990s-SubsistenceFarm

Conflict between subsistence farmers & conservation efforts

EastAfrica 1979 rwandagorilla

The Mountain Gorilla Project

EastAfrica 1985-DianFossey

Gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey murdered in Rwanda

EastAfrica 1983 whiterhino

White rhino declared extinct

EastAfrica 1964 CharlesLindbergh

Charles Lindbergh on a visit to Kenya

EastAfrica 1960 StatusOfWildlife

Wildlife populations rapidly decreasing

EastAfrica 1950s logging (1)

Commercial logging alters forest animal demographics

EastAfrica 1940 Serengeti

Serengeti National Park established

EastAfrica 1937 Eucalyptus

Native forests replaced with eucalyptus

EastAfrica 1932 coucal

Extinction of Delalande's coucal

EastAfrica 1917 locust

Locusts invade Ethiopia

EastAfrica 1911 Hippo

Poem, ‘the Hippopotamus’

EastAfrica 1908

"Even streams and rivers begin to sing"

EastAfrica 1905 LakeNaivasha

Biodiversity of Lake Naivasha

EastAfrica 1905 majimaji

Maji Maji Rebellion to defend forest resources

EastAfrica 1903 Sudan

Sudan establishes wildlife protected area

EastAfrica 1900 elephantscarcity

First international conservation treaty

EastAfrica 1893 locustplague

Red-locust plague of 1893-95

EastAfrica 1890s Rinderpest

Over 90% of cattle killed during The Great Rinderpest, causing widespread famine

EastAfrica 1888 germanmangroves

Germans take over Tanzanian mangrove trade 

EastAfrica 1684 IvorykillingAfrica

Ivory is killing Africa

EastAfrica 1879 elephanttanzania

Ruthless destruction of the elephant

EastAfrica 1870s fertileland

The fertile Rufiji Valley

EastAfrica 0AD

Bantu song in the British colonial period

EastAfrica 1860 birdstrikesair

"The note of a bird rarely strikes the air"

EastAfrica 1858 nyanza

The pale blue waters of the Nyanza (Lake Victoria)

EastAfrica 1800 SacredGrove

Sacred groves

EastAfrica 1700 AnimalTotem

Animal totems & reverence for wildlife

Ethiopian forest resilient to fire

EastAfrica 1280 MarcoPolo

Marco Polo on the East African coast

EastAfrica 1200 GreatLakesdeforestation

Early deforestation in the African Great Lakes

EastAfrica 1100 MangrovesCoral

Mangroves and coral in Swahili mosques

EastAfrica 1000 bananafarming

 Banana farming in the Pare Mountains

EastAfrica 9thcenturyAD ivorytrade

Asian trade of ivory underway in East Africa

EastAfrica 700 megafauna

Extinction of megafauna & human settlement of Madagascar

EastAfrica BCE500

Agriculture and livestock expand in East Africa

EastAfrica BCE500 BantuCreation2

From pastoralism to agriculture in Bantu myth

Africa, East Africa

Eastern African Coastal Forest

Stretching along the eastern edge of Africa is a narrow band of tropical forests known for endemic primate species, high biodiversity, and valuable hardwoods. The ecosystem is threatened by fragmentation due to agriculture, unsustainable harvesting of forest resources, and lack of conservation (less than 20% of coastal forest is formally protected). 

Miombo (woodlands)

Located on the East African Plateau are the undulating ridges and flat dambos (valleys) of the miombo. With a relatively low human population, this ecoregion is characterized by canopy trees, tall grasses, and large grazing mammals including elephants and antelopes. The miombo has distinct seasonality, with wet summers leading to waterlogged dambos, and dry winters that cause droughts and fires.

Eastern Arc Mountains

Towering above the Rift Valley are the high mountains of East Africa including Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and Mount Elgon. This temperate montane region contains 1500 endemic plants species and over 100 endemic vertebrates. Over time, the lower elevations have largely deforested due to plantation agriculture—particularly lucrative coffee crops—and timber logging. 

Savanna

The savanna is the most iconic East African habitat known for its flat grassland scattered with acacia trees and shrubs. The climate of the savanna biome ranges from wet to dry, causing wildlife to move throughout the region following the rain. Lions, elephants, wild dogs, rhinos, and leopards are among the wildlife that make the savanna their home.

African Great Lakes

Within the eastern Rift Valley lies the vast African Great Lakes region, which includes two of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. Flamingoes, crocodiles, hippopotamus, and endemic cichlid fish species are among the best-known of the Great Lakes’ abundant wildlife. Due to pollution, overfishing, and invasive species, the region is considered one of the world’s most endangered water systems.

Key Habitats

Deforestation

Beginning in the colonial period, East Africa’s diverse forests have been fragmented by agricultural expansion, population growth, and logging for timber and fuelwood. Deforestation has had devastating consequences including desertification, soil degradation, and habitat loss for key forest species such as eastern gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda. Deforestation has been linked to lower rainfall, which contributes to the region’s droughts and water shortages.

Poaching

Illegal wildlife poaching in Kenya Tanzania and other countries throughout East Africa has led to catastrophic declines in many species, particularly elephant and rhinoceros due to international demand for ivory and rhino horn. Both elephants and rhino play critical roles in regional ecosystems, trampling grassland and creating natural waterholes for smaller species to thrive. Government corruption exacerbates this crisis by allowing poachers to operate with impunity, in some cases officials have even aided crime syndicates in their poaching efforts. 

Water scarcity

Water shortages are a growing concern in East Africa. Climate change has contributed to shifting weather patterns and higher temperatures, contributing to severe droughts across the region that have resulted in decreased agricultural production, shortages of food and clean drinking water, and threats of disease. 

Biodiversity loss

Agricultural expansion, urbanization, mining, and destruction of natural habitats are all major drivers of biodiversity loss in East Africa. Rising temperatures also threaten East African wildlife as species struggle to adapt to the changes in their environment.  

Most Pressing Issues

East Africa