Mapping the Encroachment in Tana River
A visual data investigation into how communal grazing lands are being re-zoned for export-only biofuel production.
Comparing land registry filings against satellite imagery from the last three growing seasons, NAAM's investigation traces how tracts of communal grazing land along the Tana River have been re-classified for export-only biofuel cultivation — often without the community consultation the law requires.
Herding families describe grazing routes fenced off overnight, with little warning and less compensation. Local administrators point to development agreements signed years earlier; residents say they were never shown the full terms.
The pattern isn't unique to this stretch of river. NAAM is compiling similar cases from three other counties for a follow-up report on the export-crop rezoning wave more broadly.