Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has kicked off a tree planting campaign to help mitigate the effects of climate change and restore the vegetative cover in the coastal county.
Governor Achani said the county initiative is part of the national government’s broader environmental conservation effort to make Kenya green.
Achani underscored the need to protect the environment from the negative effects of climate change and secure a healthier future for posterity.
The national government is championing a campaign to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 in a bid to increase the country’s forest cover from 12 per cent to 30 per cent.
“We all need to come together to ensure the success of the greening Kenya agenda by planting trees in all corners of the country,” she said when she led residents in a tree planting exercise in Mwadudua village in Puma ward, Kinango Sub- County.
Achani who was accompanied by Deputy Governor, Chirema Kombo and County Executive for Environment Saumu Beja, called on the residents to stop the habit of felling trees for charcoal to the detriment of the environment.
She said tree planting is one of the most effective ways of fighting desertification, air pollution, soil erosion, higher temperatures and other negative outcomes of the ravaging climatic conditions.
Achnai emphasized that the countrywide tree planting campaign was a shared responsibility to restore the country’s forest cover and has invited private sector participation.
A total of 1000 seedlings of various species were planted, which include bamboo, neem and indigenous trees, with the Governor noting that Kwale targets to plant 29 million trees by 2032.
“This initiative is part of our commitment to environmental conservation and land rehabilitation, which plays a vital role in protecting water sources and preventing soil erosion,” she said.
The Governor said the county will work with the national government and other stakeholders on designation of more sites for planting trees.
She urged all and sundry to ensure that the trees planted did not perish due to bushfires and illegal logging activities that threaten their survival.
The coastal county boss said climate change was threatening livelihoods and advised residents to demonstrate more interest and commitment to ensure that the trees planted grew to maturity.
Achani noted that rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and the loss of biodiversity are just a few of the consequences of environmental degradation but stated that the tide can be turned around by planting trees.
By Hussein Abdullahi
