Lamu tree planting campaign launched to restore degraded wetlands, forests

Conservationists in Lamu County have joined hands to launch a massive tree-planting campaign aimed at restoring degraded forests and wetlands in the region.

On Tuesday, the Wetlands International Organization led the Kenya Forest Service-KFS, National Environment and Management Authority-Nema, the county government of Lamu, Community Forest Associations-CFA and others in planting over 1000 trees at the Mpeketoni National Youth Service-NYS Compound.

Wetlands International Eastern Africa director Julie Mulonga said tree planting was the surest way to starve off climate catastrophes in the country and around the globe.

She said the organization has committed to encouraging the restoration of highly degraded forests through sustainable community-led reforestation.

The conservationist said Wetlands International will also undertake public education on the importance of tree planting and growing in all 47 counties around the country.

Mulonga observed that tree planting has always helped to conserve indigenous water sources to ensure they are sustainably used to meet the needs of the locals.

“As a community, we continue to keep at this until all wetlands have been fully restored. I challenge every Kenyan out there to take up a collective and personal initiative to plant trees at any given opportunity,” said Mulonga.

Lamu County Forest Conservator Peter Mwangi said the KFS has set a target to plant at least 700,000 trees across the county to match the nationwide target of 5 billion trees in the next five years.

This, according to Mwangi, will be done in collaboration with all conservation stakeholders, NGOs, community forest associations and schools.

“There is a tree cover target to achieve before the lapse of the next five years and that’s why we are doing this,” said Mwangi.

In support of the initiative, Lamu county deputy governor Raphael Munyua said the county government has doubled conservation efforts, particularly through the development of water dams, planting of trees, and protection of wetlands and other water sources.

In February, the county government of Lamu forcefully evicted hundreds who had encroached on water towers in the region.

“The county government is also currently in the progress of rehabilitating Lake Kenyatta in Mpeketoni which continues to face threats of extinction through intense human activity. So far, Sh10 Million has been issued towards the same,” said Munyua.