National Tree Growing Day
{{Short description|Kenyan public holiday for planting trees.}}
National Tree Growing Day is a public holiday in Kenya.{{Cite web |last=Tanneeru |first=Manav |date=2023-11-08 |title=Kenya announces public holiday for nationwide tree planting in reforestation drive |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/08/africa/kenya-public-holiday-tree-planting-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=CNN |language=en}} It was inaugurated on November 13, 2023 by Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, in accordance with a gazette notice issued on November 6, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Kenya Law {{!}} Kenya Gazette |url=http://www.kenyalaw.org/kenya_gazette/gazette/volume/MzAxOQ--/Vol.CXXV-No.238/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=www.kenyalaw.org}} This announcement made Kenya the first and only nation to declare a public holiday for this purpose.
National Tree Growing Day was declared as part of a government plan to plant 15 billion trees by the year 2032 and conserve 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and ecosystems.{{Cite web |last=Tanneeru |first=Manav |date=2023-11-08 |title=Kenya announces public holiday for nationwide tree planting in reforestation drive |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/08/africa/kenya-public-holiday-tree-planting-intl-scli/index.html |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=CNN |language=en}} As of November 2023, the country’s forest cover was at 8.8%, with the tree cover encompassing 12.13%.{{Cite web |title=ArcGIS Dashboards |url=https://kenyaforest.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/10250cc5285b4b35812770c789bc75ff |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=kenyaforest.maps.arcgis.com}} The government set a directive to plant 500 million trees by the end of December 2023,{{Cite web |last=Koech |first=Gilbert |date=2023-11-07 |title=State to plant 500 million trees by December, says Tuya |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-09-28-state-to-plant-500-million-trees-by-december-says-tuya/ |access-date= |website=The Star |language=en-KE}} with the intent to increase the forest cover to 30% by 2050. This initiative is not a one-time event{{Cite web |last= |title=Kenya introduces annual tree planting day holiday |url=http://www.trtafrika.com/africa/kenya-declares-public-holiday-for-campaign-to-plant-15-billion-trees-15723050 |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=TRT Afrika |language=en}} but a component of an annual plan within the nation’s environmental strategy. About 150 million tree seedlings were planted on the first National Tree Growing Day.{{Cite web |title=National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) - The National Tree Growing Day |url=https://www.nema.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=394:the-national-tree-growing-day&catid=10:news-and-events&Itemid=553 |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=www.nema.go.ke}}
A second National Tree Growing Day was declared as a national public holiday for May 10, 2024, with the goal of planting one billion trees in a single day.{{cite news |last1=Kamunde |first1=Muraya |title=Tree Growing Day: Govt eyes to plant one billion trees Friday |url=https://www.kbc.co.ke/tree-growing-day-govt-eyes-to-plant-one-billion-trees-friday/ |access-date=10 May 2024 |work=Kenya Broadcasting Company |date=10 May 2024}}
Background
Kenya’s 2010 Constitution established that the country should have at least 10% of its total land area covered by trees.{{Cite web |title=69. Obligations in respect of the environment - Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC) |url=https://www.klrc.go.ke/index.php/constitution-of-kenya/118-chapter-five-land-and-environment/part-2-environment-and-natural-resources/236-69-obligations-in-respect-of-the-environment#:~:text=(1)%20The%20State%20shall--%20(a)%20ensure%20sustainable%20exploitation,,per%20cent%20of%20the%20land%20area%20of%20Kenya; |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=www.klrc.go.ke}} Kenya Vision 2030,{{Cite web |title=About Vision 2030 {{!}} Kenya Vision 2030 |url=https://vision2030.go.ke/about-vision-2030/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |language=en-US}} the national development plan, emphasized conservation of natural resources for economic growth and set a target for forests: to increase the forest area to 10% by 2030.{{Cite web |title=Management of Natural Forest Resources {{!}} Kenya Vision 2030 |url=https://vision2030.go.ke/project/management-of-natural-forest-resources/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |language=en-US}}
To achieve the 10% tree cover target, the government issued a Presidential directive to attain the 10% national tree cover target by 2022.{{Cite journal |last=AECOM |date=2021 |title=Climate Action in the Forestry Sector in Kenya |url=https://publications.aecom.com/media/files/ClimateActionForestrySectorKenyaStatusReview.pdf |journal=AECOM}} One of these programs was the revival of Chief’s tree nurseries and the allocation of 10% of corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to tree planting projects.{{Cite journal |last=Republic of kenya |date=May 2019 |title=Draft National Strategy for Achieving and Maintaining Over 10% Tree Cover By 2022 |url=https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ken189997.pdf |journal=}}
From 1990 to 2015, 311,000 hectares of forestland were converted into other land use.{{Cite web |title=FOSA Country Report - Kenya |url=https://www.fao.org/3/ab569e/AB569E04.htm |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.fao.org}} A forest cover assessment conducted in 2013 provided a baseline for measuring and designing future strategies. According to this assessment, the national forest cover was 4.18 million hectares in 2010, which was 6.99% of the total land area.{{Cite journal |last=Muigua |first=Kariuki |date=2021 |title=Conserving Biodiversity for a Better Future |journal=Journal of Conflict Management and Sustainable Development |volume=6|issue=5 }} This assessment was a reference point for meeting the constitutional provision. In 2015, the forest cover was estimated at 7.2% based on the national projection from the 2010 forest cover data.{{Cite journal |last=FAO |date=2015 |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment |url=https://www.fao.org/3/az251e/az251e.pdf |journal=FAO Publication |volume=FRA 2015}}
Between 2005 and 2015, the government allocated KES 37 billion (USD 438 million equivalent) while development partners allocated KES 194 billion (USD 2.29 billion equivalent) to climate change response programmes.{{Cite web |title=Climate Change Action Plan - Kenya |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Kenya-National-Climate-Change-Action-Plan.pdf |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.kccap.info}}
In 2022, Kenya achieved its constitutional mandate of attaining a 10% forest cover, as announced by its then President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 27. The president also declared a new national goal of reaching a 30% forest cover by 2050 and launched a campaign to support it. The campaign, which was aligned with the March–April-May (MAM) rainy season, distributed tree seedlings to schools and prisons throughout the country. According to the government, about 31,000 kg of seeds were allocated for schools and 1,000 kg for prisons for planting during the long rains season.{{Cite web |title=President Uhuru sets an ambitious 30% target for forest cover by 2050 during the launch of Kenya's Tree Growing Fund and campaign |url=https://www.undp.org/kenya/press-releases/president-uhuru-sets-ambitious-30-target-forest-cover-2050-during-launch-kenya%E2%80%99s-tree-growing-fund-and-campaign |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=UNDP |language=en}}File:President William Ruto.jpg
A prolonged drought began in 2020 in the country and the Horn of Africa region and affected about 23 million people.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-24 |title=More Than a Decade of Drought - Impacts and lessons learned across the Eastern Horn of Africa 2011—2022 {{!}} February 2023 - Ethiopia {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/more-decade-drought-impacts-and-lessons-learned-across-eastern-horn-africa-2011-2022-february-2023 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}} Nearly one million children suffered from acute malnutrition and another million people left their homes to look for food, water and work.{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Sarah |date=2023-04-30 |title=Climate change caused catastrophic East Africa drought, scientists say |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/27/climate-change-drought-east-africa/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |issn=0190-8286}} Droughts triggered local conflicts, threatening national security,{{Cite web |title=The entire population of Kenya has been given the day off to plant trees |url=https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/kenya-new-national-tree-planting-day |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.discoverwildlife.com |date=14 November 2023 |language=en}} over scarce resources and caused food insecurity and loss of livestock.{{Cite web |title=UNCCD Library {{!}} Details {{!}} Combating desertification in Kenya: Emerging lessons from empowering local communities. |url=https://library.unccd.int/Details/books/204 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=library.unccd.int}} Arid and semiarid land constituted about 84% of the total land mass and inhabited by about 34% of the country’s population.{{Citation |last1=Hitimana |first1=Joseph |title=Combating Desertification through Enhancement of Woody Floral Diversity in the Drylands of Kenya: Analysis, Milestones, and Strategies |date=2021-11-11 |url=https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79288 |work=Deserts and Desertification |access-date=2023-11-24 |publisher=IntechOpen |language=en |isbn=978-1-83962-718-7 |last2=Mengich |first2=Edward K. |last3=Kuria |first3=Teresiah N. |last4=Kimani |first4=Pauline}} In 2022, the loss of pasture and watering points for livestock in the arid regions led to the death of over 1.5 million cattles.{{Cite journal |last=Danish Refugee Council |date=23 Nov 2022 |title=Drought-affected populations in northern Kenya |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/drought-affected-populations-northern-kenya-october-2022 |journal=}}
In support of environmental conservation and risk reduction, the Kenyan government allocated an investment of $80 million{{Cite web |date=2023-11-07 |title=Kenya declares a surprise public holiday for a national campaign to plant 15 billion trees |url=https://apnews.com/article/kenya-tree-planting-king-charles-climate-change-c0b82a93b185d8b47e2867e4f3ca7b9f |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=AP News |language=en}} intended to increase the forest cover and sustainable practices. Seedlings were available to the public through local forest agencies and chiefs’ offices across the country.
Impact
The arid Northeastern Region, comprising Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir counties, planted over 300,000 trees on the national tree growing day.{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/kenya/photos-kindiki-leads-ministry-in-planting-trees-in-north-eastern/ar-AA1jQuFN |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.msn.com}} This regional initiative involved collaboration with local leadership, with 441 Chiefs involved in the planting of at least 680 trees in their sublocations. This decentralized approach adopted a region-specific strategy.
On 21 December 2022, President William Ruto, launched the JazaMiti (Fill the Trees) app and JazaMiti dashboard. The application, designed for use by individuals or institutions involved in tree planting, serves as a tool for documenting their tree-planting activities. This application uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to monitor and track the growth of trees over time, providing a system for reporting.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-21 |title=Kenya's green holiday: a solution for climate change? |url=https://www.thebubble.org.uk/current-affairs/environment/kenyas-green-holiday-a-solution-for-climate-change/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=The Bubble |language=en-GB}} Data on the app would be verified every four months each year.{{Cite news |last=Kimeu |first=Caroline |date=2023-11-13 |title='It was incredible to see': Kenyans dig deep on first national tree planting day |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/13/it-was-incredible-to-see-kenyans-dig-deep-on-first-national-tree-planting-day |access-date=2023-11-24 |issn=0261-3077}}
The app recorded over 10 million seedlings were planted on the national tree planting day,{{Cite web |title=JAZAMITI App Activities Dashboard |url=http://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/82e7201b-94b2-4aad-927d-3e7edb9d572a/page/azjBB?feature=opengraph |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=Looker Studio |language=en}} a figure significantly lower than the officially announced total of 150 million trees announced by the Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura.