Let us encourage communities to take care of forests

It is unfortunate that a well thought-out programme — the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme — faces dissolution as a result of mismanagement of forest resources.

In the scheme, Kenya Forest Service allows residents — through community forest associations — the right to grow crops during the early stages of establishing forest plantations.

Cultivation is often allowed to continue for three to four years until the tree canopy closes.

The programme is meant to improve economic gains of farmers while ensuring success rate of the planted trees.

REVENUE
The scheme has been used to establish forest plantations in Kenya since 2007 but is slightly different from the shamba system.

In the central highlands, the survival rate stands at 75 per cent while in some western Kenya counties it is at 55 per cent, according to a 2013 study by the Kenya Forest Research Institute.

The study showed that the contribution of the scheme to the country’s economy was in the range of Sh14 billion.

This could have doubled by now. Where communities have strong governance structures and good working relationship with KFS, there is reported success and reduced forest encroachment.

The communities act as security for the plantations.

FOREST COVER
Moreover, reforestation or raising plantations under the scheme was cost-effective and importantly, played a big role in fighting hunger.

A 2015 study found that the programme contributed to 12.8 per cent increase of forest cover in the areas it was implemented.

The study also clearly showed that the survival rates were higher in plantations established under the scheme than those established without it by an average of 75.1 per cent and 45.2 per cent, respectively, in Uasin Gishu County, for instance.

On plantation establishment, it was found that the cost was lower by 28 per cent per hectare with the scheme.

There are case studies that show the success of the scheme. Gathiuru Forest is one such example. Other successful cases are Kiburu and Geta forests.

CRITICISM
The associations have supported KFS to reforest formerly degraded lands, providing labour, planting, weeding and ensuring that the trees survive while eking a living through growing food crops and exiting when the trees grow to a certain level.

In contrast, in portions of Gathiuru forest where natural regeneration took place, the success rate was less than five per cent.

The blanket condemnation that the scheme damages forest is erroneous.

Where communities are part of the solution, there is greater success; but where management has failed, the scheme could open a loophole for unscrupulous officers who may collude with citizens to destroy trees.

TREE PLANTING
A solution should be sought. Citizen watch should be encouraged and every Kenyan should take responsibility and grow a tree as the country invests in other forms of alternatives to wood and charcoal.

We certainly need to plant trees – and maybe for a while stop harvesting what we do not have, until we reach the 10 per cent forest cover mark.

We must have tighter controls and more punitive measures for environmental saboteurs, and plant more indigenous trees.

Demoralising the plantation scheme is not one of the solutions to environmental degradation.

Ms Githaiga is Policy Research and Innovation Manager at WWF Kenya.