The Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency (LVSWWDA) is undertaking a massive tree-planting initiative in Lambwe Forest as part of its efforts to conserve and sustain critical water sources in the region.
This drive is also geared towards restoring the once thriving Lambwe forest that was left bare after border wrangles that led to its burning down.
Speaking after a tree planting exercise in Lambwe, the Authority’s Senior Manager for Research, Strategy, and Performance Management Siwa Miriam highlighted the importance of forest conservation in ensuring the sustainability of water infrastructure.
She noted that the Agency recognizes its responsibility to support water and sanitation through infrastructure development.
“As an institution mandated to deliver water and sanitation services, we must ensure the availability of water,” she said. “The infrastructure we build relies on rivers, which in turn depend on forests to thrive. By investing in reforestation, we are protecting the natural ecosystems that feed our water sources.”
The LVSWWDA operates across eight counties including Migori, Kisii, Siaya, Kisumu, Bomet, Kericho, Homa Bay, and Nyamira.
The projects implemented by the Agency aim to promote environmental sustainability and its tree-planting projects are guided by national directives that restrict such activities to government-gazetted forests.
“We have been guided by the national government that on matters tree-planting, we confine ourselves to government-gazetted forests,” said Miriam.
In collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Agency was allocated an 18.8-hectare compartment designated as 3V within the Lambwe Forest for tree planting and to date, the Agency has planted more than 40,000 trees in the forest.
LVSWWDA partnered with a Community-Based Organization (CBO) known as A Million Tree Match, which is responsible for supervising operations on the ground, including site clearance and labor mobilization.
The CBO sources its labor from the local residents and in return they are provided with daily wages.
“The entire process is also beneficial to the community members,” Miriam explained. “We plant tree seedlings alongside maize crops, and as the public weeds their crops, they also help prune the trees under KFS guidance. Through the CBO, we pay them a small amount to support their livelihoods and small businesses.”
Abba Eban, the CBO’s Operations Officer reiterated that A Million Tree Match campaign was launched to rehabilitate the once thriving Lambwe Forest, which had been severely degraded following historical conflicts between the Suba and Ndhiwa communities that led to widespread destruction of forest cover.
He emphasized the significance of the restoration project, saying, “Lambwe was once a thriving forest but border disputes created animosity between the two communities, leading to its destruction. Our goal is to restore the forest to its former glory.”
He added that the LVSWWDA has played a vital role as the financial partner, providing essential resources for the project’s implementation and sustainability.
By Sitna Omar
