Kenya: The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) – Alex Lemarkoko met a delegation of senior officers from Avatari Development Kenya (ADK) led by Bob Ghataaura. They discussed the conservation of mangrove forests as well as terrestrial forests for carbon sequestration and other climate change resilience interventions in the Kenyan Coast.
Lemarkoko appreciated the ADK for their proposal to establish a mangrove restoration project in Lamu and Tana River Counties. He informed the visitors that the country had enacted the Climate Change Act 2023 which will guide all carbon credit projects, especially the benefit sharing of carbon credits with the local communities.
The CCF added that Community Forest Associations (CFA), who are the first line of defence for forest conservation have been recognised as one of the main beneficiaries in any carbon project to be established in the country. He also noted that as the custodian of Kenya’s public forests, Kenya Forest Service (KFS) welcomed support by stakeholders to enhance forest conservation for the benefit of all Kenyans.
He noted that the Climate Change Act will help the country tap into the enormous opportunities in the carbon markets to help spur development in the forestry sector including the 15 billion tree growing campaign. He called on the ADK to also get involved in the campaign through seedling production and establish model tree nurseries in their areas of operation.
Furthermore, Ghataaura thanked the CCF for his willingness to work together in the conservation of forests. He noted that his organisation was involved in regenerative and nature-based development with focus on eco-infrastructure, blue-carbon, circular-economy systems and sustainability projects. He noted that in partnership with the KFS their mission was to restore and conserve Kenya’s degraded coastal lands in Lamu and Tana River through large-scale mangrove reforestation and community-led development.
The two of them agreed to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of the project in the two counties. During the meeting, Principal Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests – Dr. Clement Ng’oriareng’, the Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests for Natural Forest Conservation – Beatrice Mbula and the Regional Forest Conservator for the Coast Region – James Mburu as well as Jeremiah Muia and Harry Cook from ADK among other officers were present there.