With unprecedented adverse effects of climate change, the Danish government has donated a Sh907.9 million grant to boost the efforts of Northern Kenya and coastal region communities in addressing the menace.
The grant will be utilized in a four-year project implemented by the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) in providing nature-based solutions including forest restorations, coastal mangroves and at the same time encourage the use of renewable energy.
The latest grant through the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) has now seen total allocation to the resilience to climate change project rise to Sh4 billion in the last 13 years.
One of the projects that are being implemented through Nature based solution projects is the restoration of the 22 hectares of Ngare Ndare forest in Meru County with indigenous trees and improvement of the water catchment areas.
“We grow both exotic and indigenous seedlings, the latter is for planting in the forest since our forest is natural forest while exotic ones are for planting in farms neighbouring the forest. “We encourage the villages surrounding the forest to own tree planting farms to reduce pressure in the forest on firewood needs,” says David Kinyua, Ngare Ndare forest trust chairman.
The chairman reveals that they have introduced a one for one initiative where a resident gets an extra tree seedling after purchasing one in their tree nursery in Ngare Ndare where they produce over 100,000 per season. The initiative aimed at ensuring the community embrace tree planting. He said through the trust, they have issued over 10 million tree seedlings since 2010.
According to NRT, Nature Based Project Director Dida Fayo, extreme climate conditions had necessitated livelihood sustainability and nature restoration in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Northern Kenya and Coastal areas communities where they bear the brunt of climate change.
On his part, Laikipia County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha says that the County was semi-arid resulting in resource-based conflicts hence the grant would go a long way in addressing the conflicts among the local communities.
NRT Chief Partnership and growth officer Tom Lalampaa reiterates that the grant will boost access to water, green energy, agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, mangrove restoration and rangeland management.
Nancy Njenga, Head of Climate Resilience at the Royal Danish Embassy reveals that their commitment is seeing communities in both Northern and Coastal Kenya benefitting from improved livelihood through conservation.
Njenga adds that in the past, their support through NRT had been channelled to local communities aimed to enhance access to water, better healthcare and education.
By Muturi Mwangi and Stella Wandururi.
