Nakuru residents have been encouraged to adopt agroforestry practices to enhance soil health, conservation to improve food security.
Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara said by integrating trees into agricultural systems, the residents will help improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and enjoy diverse income sources.
Kibaara further said that Agroforestry practices would safeguard the health and resilience of natural ecosystems, which in turn would ensure food security and other economic benefits.
The commissioner said the government was actively involved in various environmental conservation initiatives to mitigate climate change and safeguard the livelihoods of communities across the country.
The Commissioner made the remarks after presiding over a tree planting exercise at Egerton University’s Njoro Main Campus.
The exercise that saw 2,500 trees planted involved officials from National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), members of communities around the institution and students, teaching and non-teaching staff from Egerton University.
The Commissioner said agroforestry, that is growing trees among or around food crops, was a proven method for farmers to grow more diverse, productive and profitable crops while protecting the environment by reducing farmers’ reliance on forests.
He further explained that agroforestry could help reduce farmers’ vulnerability to climate change shocks as trees planted on farms and homesteads could improve water infiltration into the soil, reduce surface runoff and increase water availability for crops.
The administrator indicated that climate change had hit the entire world as prolonged dry spells and floods were experienced in different parts of the world.
“I urge everyone to take the responsibility of planting trees in your farms, schools and even in open places,” added the commissioner.
The administrator said the tree planting drive was part of the national 15 billion Trees by 2032. The initiative launched by the President in 2022, aims to achieve this goal through various afforestation efforts.
Kibaara said there was urgent need for environmental conservation to secure a healthy future for generations to come and advocating for a holistic approach that includes community involvement, education, and practical conservation efforts like tree planting and reducing reliance on firewood
The administrator at the same time underscored the importance of inculcating a tree planting culture among the young generation adding that youth were the future, and their numbers are high and if they were involved in environment conservation the future of the planet will be in safe hands in the coming years.
He called on the young people to be actively involved in planting of the trees as they were more at risk of suffering from climate change effects than the older generation.
The commissioner emphasized the need to plant indigenous trees, which he said will positively contribute to the conservation of water and the environment and emphasized the importance of nurturing trees to maturity.
“We have been engaging in the process of tree planting, forgetting the important aspect of nurturing trees to their full maturity,” Kibaara added.
Kibaara observed that planting trees would also create job opportunities as many people who put up tree nursery beds would earn a lot of money as organizations and individuals will buy trees from them.
The tree planting initiative according to Kibaara aligns with the government’s broader goals of reducing greenhouse emissions, combating deforestation, and restoring degraded landscapes.
The tree planting exercise held under Nakuru county’s monthly environmental drive, received support from Egerton University’s climate-smart agriculture program, with tree seedlings sponsored by Equity Bank’s Green Energy Initiative.
According to FAO, tree planting and plantation forestry plays an important role in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change.
The destruction and degradation of forests contributes to the problem through the release of CO2. But the planting of new forests can help mitigate against climate change by removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
By Esther Mwangi
