COP28: Kenya seeks Ksh.500B to complete 15 billion trees planting initiative

Kenya through the Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Forestry has called upon both local and global partners of goodwill to come on board to sponsor the tree planting drive where Kenya seeks to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.

At the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, UAE on Monday, the ministry said Kenya needs Ksh.500 billion for the initiative, with a budget of Ksh.50 billion a year.

According to the ministry, areas of call for the partnership include Kenya’s gazetted forests, wetlands across the country including in the grasslands, mountains and water towers, mangroves and coastal ecosystems.

Areas where the country is stuck and needs lifting include seedling propagation, fencing, adoption of ecosystems for restoration and nurseries, logistical support and communication campaigns.

 The ministry has reiterated that the 15 billion trees initiative seeks to restore and conserve 10.6M hectares of degraded landscapes and ecosystems towards achieving 30% tree cover in Kenya by 2032, for purposes of biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability, sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and socio-economic development.

The National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration Strategy is meant to bridge the gap and bring coordinated efforts for the restoration of the seven degraded landscapes and ecosystems.

The ministry emphasized the need to accelerate approaches to address the key drivers of degradation in each ecosystem to prevent, halt and reverse degradation.

Activities outlined to achieve the goal include growing 15 billion trees by 2032 among others.

The National Landscape and Ecosystem program is targeting seven ecosystems which include: forests, agroecosystems, wetlands, rangelands, settled areas, mountain ecosystem and marine ecosystems.

According to the ministry, the 15 billion trees planting initiative targeted at achieving 30% tree cover matters as it is a constitutional requirement, it enhances economic benefits, employment creation and increased forest products; mitigation of climate change, attainment of SDG 13 climate Action, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)  world target towards reducing global warming; enhancing community resilience to climate change and natural disasters; biodiversity conservation, restoration of degraded landscapes and ecosystems among others.

The ministry joined by other delegates attending COP28 in Dubai led by Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries Soipan Tuya (Forestry) and Njuguna Ndung’u (Treasury), where they made a presentation at a side event session with World Bank representatives.