Community-Based Forest Monitoring Groups in Western Kenya's Rural Areas: Role and Impact on Forest Degradation Prevention from 2005 to 2005

Community-based forest monitoring groups (CBFGs) have emerged as a significant tool for addressing deforestation and degradation in rural areas of Kenya. A systematic literature review approach was employed, including extensive searches through databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Studies published between and were considered relevant to this study's focus area. Findings suggest that CBFGs played a crucial role in forest monitoring by engaging local communities in the identification and reporting of deforestation activities. The proportion of reported incidents was found to be significantly higher among groups with well-established community engagement mechanisms, indicating their effectiveness in promoting sustainable forestry practices. The review underscores the importance of CBFGs for fostering collaborative efforts between governments and local populations towards forest conservation objectives. Future research should explore the scalability of successful models and evaluate potential policy interventions to enhance the impact of CBFGs on forest degradation prevention in Kenya. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.