Efforts to expand Nandi Forest cover from the current 26 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050 were bolstered by tree planting over the weekend.
CAS for Water and Irrigation Andrew Tumour said it is important to involve all interested parties so they plant as many trees as possible in Nandi.
“To increase the percentage of cover, we have to bring people to support us and supply seedlings, so we plant and move together," he said.
"For a long time, we have been destroying our forest but we are planting more trees and people, especially young people, are getting aware that tree planting is essential."
Environmentalist Fred Kiptanui said their calculations indicate that by the end of 2050, they should have achieved 50 per cent forest cover.
This year, the theme is ‘Efforts to support the green economy, reducing climate risks in agriculture, environment, agro-business, water, land management and food security'.
"We want to improve Nandi's forest cover, which stands at 26 per cent but we want to move it to 50 per cent by 2050 to go along with the national target of 30 per cent forest cover,” Kiptanui said.
Climate change is the most serious danger the world faces today, he said.
"There is no other challenge affecting the world more severely since the existence of mankind than climate change.”
John Chumo, secretary of the National Environmental Complaint Committee, said they were launching a robust tree planting session. He said many parties are involved, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
It has the mandate of ensuring the county gets good forest cover by ensuring a clean environment.
The constitution gives the people a right to a clean and healthy environment by ensuring good forest cover will be achieved through afforestation programmes.
The ministry is bringing together factories in the tea industry in Nandi, schools and other parties.
Chumo said they to want to increase national forest cover from 8.5 per cent to minimum of 10 per cent to enhance food security.
“I call upon all Kenyans, especially people living around here because Nandi county, which is an ecosystem, is a source of many rivers that pour their waters into Lake Victoria," Chumo said.
"Lake Victoria plays a critical role in our ecosystem, Currently, there is a lot of work going on as a country and within the region to ensure the lake plays a major role in enhancing the country's economy.
"By doing conservation here, we are improving the state of Lake Victoria from pollution and the issue of water hyacinth,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
