- Current trends suggest 1.5 billion hectares would need to be restored to meet the 2030 land degradation neutrality goals
- Tuya said the poor, who depend on natural resources for their survival, are hit the most by the effects of climate change
Image: WWF-K
The government has raised concern that continued landscape degradation will have long-term impacts on overall human wellbeing.
Degradation poses a threat to the country's key sectors, such as agriculture, livestock, tourism, forestry, and fisheries.
Environment CS Soipan Tuya on Wednesday said the sectors are key drivers of the country's economy.
“These challenges threaten the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans, especially the rural poor who depend on natural resources for their survival,” Tuya said.
The CS made the remarks at Embu during this year’s World Environment day, which aims to support accelerated progress on global commitments.
These include protecting 30 per cent of land and sea for nature and restoring 30 per cent of the planet’s degraded ecosystems.
While countries have promised to restore one billion hectares of land by 2030, current trends suggest 1.5 billion hectares would need to be restored to meet the 2030 land degradation neutrality goals.
Tuya said the poor, who depend on natural resources for their survival, are hit the most by the effects of climate change.
“Land restoration holds the key to reversing this tide. Every investment in restoration yields significant returns in terms of improved ecosystem services,” she said.
The Jaza Miti App will be used to track and monitor tree growing efforts nationwide.
The CS added that land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, which is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Tuya said the approach is inclusive and calls for the participation of all Kenyans—from individuals to institutions, public and private sectors, urban and rural areas, and from the young to the old in what we term the ‘whole-of-society, whole-of-government’ approach.
She said the strategy is built on five key objectives, which include increasing national tree cover by 17.8 per cent by the year 2032 through targeted interventions on public, community, and private lands; leveraging nature-based solutions that will enhance sustainable land management practices and support community resilience.
Other objectives include improving landscape and ecosystem governance through robust policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks; encouraging private sector investment.
Developing sustainable financing mechanisms for the restoration of degraded landscapes; and strengthening capacity, research, monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management are also included.
The CS said the strategy supports our international commitments under the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.