Players begin plans to increase Kenya’s forest cover
What you need to know:
- The plan notes that the greatest potential for increasing tree and forest cover lies in farms, and to some extent, dry lands.
- Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu said the plan would contribute to supporting coordinated efforts towards sustainable forest management.
- Currently, about seven per cent of Kenya’s total land area is covered by forests.
Stakeholders in forestry initiatives have endorsed a new plan that outlines specific measures to be undertaken across sectors to increase Kenya’s forest cover to 10 per cent in the next 15 years.
They have adopted the National Forest Programme (NFP) covering the period 2016-2030, to guide the country’s management of trees.
NFP is a national framework involving stakeholders from across sectors, in the development and coordination of forest conservation.
During a two-day meeting in Nakuru last week players reviewed and endorsed various measures proposed to not only increase forest and tree cover, but also to reverse forest degradation and increase investments in their development during the period.
The plan notes that the greatest potential for increasing tree and forest cover lies in farms, and to some extent, dry lands.
Environment and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu, speaking at the forum, said the plan would contribute to supporting coordinated efforts towards sustainable forest management.
She said it was not a national, but a stakeholders’ programme, whose strength lay in its inclusivity. “In that way, it will be different from other strategic planning process. NFP should not be viewed as a packaged panacea to the challenges facing forest cover,” she said.
FOREST SECTOR INITIATIVES
Prof Wakhungu urged the private sector and civil society engaged in forest sector initiatives to intensify their efforts to see improved use and management of the resources in a competitive manner.
Currently, about seven per cent of Kenya’s total land area is covered by forests.
Director of Forest Conservation Hewson Kabugi said the programme is aimed at enhancing sustainable forest management and improving coordination of various sectors in the same.
He said under the plan, stakeholders hope to boost the forest sector’s contribution to the national economy and see an enhanced resilience to climate change and improved livelihoods. “The goal is to develop and sustainably manage, conserve, restore and utilise forests and related resources for socio-economic growth and climate resilience,” he said.
Finland Embassy’s representative at the forum, Mr Toni Sandell, announced a new round of funding of Sh1.1 billion as part of his government’s commitment to support the programme’s implementation.
Finland, through the chargé d’affaires at its embassy in Kenya, called on the Ministry of Environment to fast-track establishment of the Forest Conservation and Management Trust Fund for sector coordination and funding mechanisms.
The overall expected outcome at the end of the period is an increased forest and tree cover to the target percentage.
