Key Habitats
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.
Most Pressing Issues
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.
