Nairobi: A new programme to restore and conserve the Mau Forest has been rolled out with the goal of restoring and protecting its vital ecosystem. The ten-year 'Mau Forest Complex Integrated Conservation Programme' spearheaded by the State Department for Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources is said to build upon previous initiatives and focuses on community engagement, public-private collaboration and scientific planning.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative incorporates the County Governments of Nakuru, Kericho, Narok and Bomet; the Kenya Forest Service (KFS); Water Resources Authority (WRA); World Resources Institute (WRI); World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS); and other stakeholders aims to address threats like deforestation, encroachment, and unsustainable practices, ensuring long-term health for Kenya's largest water tower and its surrounding communities.
Speaking when he hosted a delegation from the State Department for Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, alongside representatives from various county and national government agencies to deliberate on the rollout of the Conservation Programme, Nakuru Deputy Governor David Kones said the strategy will include reforestation, community engagement, and promotion of sustainable livelihoods like beekeeping to reduce reliance on forest resources.
Kones elaborated that key components of the programme would include increasing agricultural productivity through climate-smart land restoration efforts and promoting environmental education and research to guide policy development and decision-making. Schools, he added, will play a central role through the introduction of kitchen gardens and the strengthening of environmental clubs.
The 10-year programme, said Kone, will seek to enhance the functionality of the Mau Forest ecosystem through an integrated conservation model that he said was aimed at strengthening climate change resilience and improving the livelihoods of communities living around the forest. 'This project is aligned with the Climate Change Act and will focus on degraded landscapes in Molo, Njoro, and Kuresoi sub-counties within Nakuru County,' elaborated the Deputy Governor.
For decades, the Mau Forest complex suffered immense destruction from illegal logging, charcoal burning, and encroachment, with rivers drying up, rainfall patterns becoming erratic, and biodiversity dwindling. Despite the devastation, local communities, conservation groups, and government agencies have united to reverse the damage to a once-pristine ecosystem. Their collaborative efforts in reforestation, sustainable livelihoods, and conservation education are breathing new life into one of Kenya's most crucial water towers.
The programme will also see Community Forest Associations and local communities working together to implement conservation strategies. Encroachment, illegal settlements, unregulated grazing and logging have left more than 107,000 hectares of forest land destroyed, representing a staggering 25 per cent of the Mau's total forest cover.
Director of Projects and Programmes from the State Department for Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Ms Vicky Betty Marisin, underscored the importance of restoring and conserving the water tower, as consequences of its loss will extend far beyond the Mau's borders. Ms Marisin noted that the water tower was once a steady source of rainfall and home to perennial rivers that sustained agriculture, wildlife and power.
The Director was, however, happy that the initiative would help avert consequences of climate irregularities and biodiversity collapse that may yield ecological breakdown triggering water scarcity, food insecurity and economic losses across the country. 'We will continue and scale up a decades-long restoration effort pioneered by other programmes and initiatives,' the Director assured.
Nakuru County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Dr Nelson Maara stated that the programme aims to address these challenges by strengthening community participation by empowering local communities to be stewards of the forest and promoting sustainable land use through the promotion of practices that protect the forest while supporting livelihoods.
Dr Maara noted that local communities, through Community Forest Associations (CFAs), are crucial partners in forest management, conservation, and monitoring activities. He explained that the programme will support sustainable alternatives to destructive practices, such as promoting agroforestry and other income-generating activities that are compatible with forest conservation, adding that a significant component involves integrating environmental conservation into the school curriculum, aiming to instill a sense of responsibility and stewardship among young people.