How Innovation and Communities Are Saving African Sandalwood

How Innovation and Communities Are Saving African Sandalwood
The African Sandalwood. Photo/Courtesy

By Janet Otieno

In a small village in Central Kenya, Dr. Jane Mwangi, a Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) scholar, is on a mission to protect the endangered African sandalwood, scientifically known as Osyris lanceolata. 

For centuries, this fragrant tree has been prized for its use in incense, essential oils, and traditional medicines. But today, its survival hangs in the balance, as overharvesting driven by surging local and international demand threatens its existence.

Dr. Mwangi is determined to uncover the ecological and human-induced challenges facing African sandalwood, as well as the factors influencing its distribution across Eastern and Southern Africa.

“African sandalwood plays an important ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural role,” Dr. Mwangi explained. “Yet there is little information about its ecology and distribution, especially in Eastern Africa where the threats are greatest.”

A Tree Under Threat

The African sandalwood is found in various regions, stretching across Eastern African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, to Southern African states like Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. Despite its broad distribution, limited research exists on the factors affecting its survival in the wild.

Dr. Mwangi points out that while sandalwood is vital for both the environment and local livelihoods, the lack of data leaves conservationists ill-equipped to combat the growing threats of overharvesting and habitat destruction. This knowledge gap is what inspired her groundbreaking work.

Innovative Conservation Tools

To address these challenges, Dr. Mwangi developed Habitat Suitability Maps—an innovative tool that identifies areas where African sandalwood can thrive despite climate change and human pressures.

“These maps, the first of their kind for African sandalwood, highlight suitable habitats based on biotic and abiotic factors, as well as human activities,” she explained. “By incorporating characteristics like host plants and soil conditions, we can improve conservation outcomes.”

The maps serve as vital tools for conservationists and policymakers, enabling them to focus efforts on areas best suited for sustainable management and reforestation.

Empowering Communities for Sustainable Action

Recognizing that conservation efforts must include the communities living closest to the forest, Dr. Mwangi has made community engagement a central part of her work. She has organized workshops to educate villagers on sustainable practices, showing them how to use the Habitat Suitability Maps to guide local conservation efforts.

One key practice she promotes is coppicing, a technique that involves carefully tending to rootstocks to regenerate the tree. Dr. Mwangi has also encouraged communities to plant young sandalwood saplings in agroforestry systems. These systems not only provide economic benefits but also create climate-resilient landscapes.

“Integrating African sandalwood into agroforestry systems can offer multiple benefits,” she noted. “It can act as a cash crop, provide essential oils and medicinal products, control soil erosion, and even help remove pollutants through phytoremediation.”

The workshops have empowered communities to take ownership of conservation efforts, blending traditional knowledge with modern techniques. By nurturing existing sandalwood plants and planting new ones, these communities are helping to restore their forests while benefiting economically.

Policy Reform for a Sustainable Future

Dr. Mwangi also advocates for policy changes that ensure fair benefit-sharing from African sandalwood cultivation. She emphasizes the need for updated laws that protect the rights of local communities, especially in areas where land tenure systems make it challenging to enforce government-led conservation efforts.

“If suitable areas are on private or communal lands, it’s essential for community-based organizations and natural resource managers to engage the local population in active conservation efforts,” she said.

While much remains to be explored about African sandalwood’s ecological needs and threats, Dr. Mwangi remains optimistic. She believes tools like the Habitat Suitability Maps, combined with community action and policy reform, can help save this critical species from unsustainable harvesting.

Her research is more than just an academic exercise—it’s a call to action for governments, conservationists, and local communities to come together to protect a tree that is both economically and ecologically invaluable.

In Dr. Mwangi’s own words: “By understanding and addressing the factors threatening African sandalwood, we can ensure its survival while creating opportunities for communities to thrive.”