• Over 100 countries at COP 26 in Glasgow have pledged to end deforestation by 2030
• Kenya is committed to raising its forest cover to 10 percent from the present 6 percent
Leaders of more than 100 countries gathered for the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow have pledged to end deforestation by 2030.
Governments have pledged $12 billion to protect and restore forests and private companies have pledged $7 billion.
Rich countries should invest to help poorer countries maintain their forest cover.
But countries like Kenya can do a lot without spending much money. And the present erratic weather and drought across Kenya demonstrate that urgent action is needed.
In 2019 President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged that Kenya should move to 10 percent forest cover, up from six percent today.
Increasing forest cover can cost a lot but protecting forests costs relatively little.
Kenya Forest Service should receive increased financial support so that its rangers can protect our forests from illegal loggers.
But the police can do even more than KFS to limit global warming. Illegal timber and charcoal travel Kenyan roads every day. Those vehicles should be arrested, even if the timber is coming from neighbouring countries like Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. We are all in the same boat. If those countries lose their forest cover, Kenya will suffer equally.
Quote of the day: "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
Franklin D Roosevelt
He was re-elected US President on November 3, 1936