Charcoal burning in Kwale county is rising despite efforts to conserve the environment and combat climate change, the region's environmental stakeholders have revealed.
National Environment Management Authority county director Dancun Okoth said most areas have been left barren due to heightened charcoal burning and illegal logging.
He said the vices has affected efforts of environmental conservation and government calls to increase tree cover.
"Land degradation is on the rise, people are recklessly felling trees. Many areas have been levelled due to tree-cutting and lack of rehabilitation," he said.
Deforestation has contributed to the drying of some water sources and triggered climate change in the affected areas of the region.
Nema is working with other stakeholders such as communities and non-governmental organisations to promote ecosystem restoration in the degraded areas across the county.
Okoth said they are working with the communities to plant trees and mangroves in the wetland areas to improve rehabilitation and conservation.
He made the remarks during an interview at Munje in Msambweni sub-county while commemorating World Environment Day on Wednesday.
Nema and the community planted more than 4,000 mangroves at the degraded Munje creek.
Okoth said that Nema intends to empower forest communities to protect trees and mangroves for biodiversity.
The director also decried increased land degradation through illegal mining activities in Tiwi and Ng'ombeni in Matuga subcounty.
He said people are invading private lands for quarrying and causing mass destruction of the environment.
Local miners are also involved in the illegal connection of electricity, risking lives.
Nema in partnership with the security agencies managed to arrest several culprits. Some were prosecuted and convicted while others are yet to complete their jail terms.
Kenya Forest Services Buda station manager Ruwa Kalama affirmed the increased destruction in public forests.
Locals sneak in to cut terrestrial and mangrove trees for construction and charcoal burning.
The officer said it is high time the community adopted new cooking methods to reduce over-reliance on natural resources for domestic use.
He said the situation is dire and more consequences shall hit the residents if tree-cutting continues.
Kalama urged NGOs to join the government in empowering the community to embrace modern methods in conservation.
"NGOs, kindly train our people about briquettes, biogas and bricks for alternative cooking and construction," he said.
The officer said that modern cooking techniques would assist the community in improving sustainable livelihoods and increasing forest cover.
Kalama said there are many benefits of non-wood products that can only be attained through effective conservation.
Mariam Hamisi, a resident, said the conservation of mangroves and other trees is still a major challenge.
She said that some people are engaged in illegal logging and causing devastation.
