The Nyandarua County government has launched a 2021-2030 Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy in a bid to align conservation policies and regulatory frameworks at the county level.
Speaking during the launch of the strategy in Olkalou, Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia said forest and land degradation adversely affect and deplete resources that form basis for livelihoods to millions of people worldwide.
The Governor noted that Nyandarua County like other counties also faces challenges from unpredictable climate change and landscape degradation hence the need for an immediate attention.
Being the first devolved unit to develop and implement the strategy, Kimemia said that the move will see restoration of degraded forests landscapes, riparian zones, and agricultural landscapes through multi-sectoral stakeholders’ approaches.
The strategy will see the county plant 10 million tree seedlings in 10 years to increase forest cover, protect riparian zones among others key environment conservation practices.
On his part, Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau, who graced the launch, revealed that Nyandarua was also among leading countries in Forest cover and tree cover in the country.
Kamau said a recent geospatial survey carried out by the Kenya Forest Services (KFS) indicated that Nyandarua had an impressive 26.2 percent forest cover and a tree cover of 27.5 percent, an increase realised since 2018.
The conservator challenged other counties to emulate the good work the Governor was doing in Nyandarua noting that environment conservation need a multisectoral approach.
On locals benefiting from natural resources derived from their counties, Governor Kimemia said his administration was still pushing for residents of Kinangop to benefit from Sasumua Dam, whose water is used in Nairobi.
He further called for a systematic lifting of logging ban, which had sounded a death knell to some formerly vibrant towns in the County.
The strategy has been developed by the County Government with the assistance of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Kenya Forest Service. WWF was represented in the function by Jackson Kiplagat.