Let the trees grow for the benefit of us all

When the term environmental conservation is mentioned, the thought of trees comes to my mind and I am sure this happens to many of us.

Although conservation of the environment is not done only through trees, forests play a major role in shielding us from the harsh judgment of their destruction.

Forests in Israel are highly valued. We have a day set aside every year called Tu Bishvat that is dedicated to celebrating trees.

New trees are planted and we tend to the forests increasing the much needed forest cover.

The citizens of Israel took it upon themselves to create forests in a land that was mostly barren and half of which is a desert, as the vision of seeing forests spread across the land became inevitable.

GREAT WEATHER

It became the responsibility of every school-going child and teenager, every citizen, every family, every organisation and, of course, the government.

Today, when I recap my very first visit to Kenya – As I sat in the motor vehicle from the airport, I was thrilled by what great weather Kenya has.

It was cool. My driver told me it had rained the night before. Israel was hot when I left…very hot. And he continued to explain: “These are the short rains. We will have long rains in March /April next year.” But come the following year, I did not see much of the long rains.

Which brings me to the thought of how harsh nature can be when we do not take good care of it! The effects --- drought, soil erosion, dried rivers and dams --- are evident

WORSENING SITUATION

When I read in the newspapers about the worsening situation by the day and the levels at Ndakaini Dam, which supplies water to Nairobi and its environs, having dropped to an all-time low of less than 25 per cent, caused by the recent prolonged dryness in the main water catchments for the rivers feeding the dam, the more urgent the planting, afforestation and reforestation campaign ought to be.

On April 21, the Embassy of Israel went to Lari in the Uplands area of Kiambu County and in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Natural resources, the Kenya Forest Service and ordinary Kenyans, for a large tree planting campaign.

The embassy is joining the Kenya Government in the tree planting initiative by adopting a forest in Kenya – to be called the Israel Forest.

This is yet another avenue for strong collaboration and enduring friendship between the two nations.

PLANT TREES

I have seen the desire of many in this nation to plant trees, as I have planted many trees at the various ceremonies that I have attended.

The Israel Forest shall consist of three forest blocks situated close to one another, hoping to recreate a green area where it once used to be.

This initiative seeks to actualise and localise the SDGs, foster the already strong Kenya-Israel friendship, share Israel’s technologies in environmental conservation and nurture peaceful coexistence using the Israel Forest and re-afforestation as platform of integration.

All Kenyans should join this great initiative by planting trees in order to fill these three blocks and hopefully, replicate the same in different parts of the country to restore its beauty and shield it from nature’s wrath.

Mr Vilan is the Ambassador of Israel. [email protected]