By Matilda Atieno
Kisumu has set up a solid green project on tree planting campaign as a climate action key on supporting climate sensitive county.
The current climate crisis calls for efforts on two fronts including the county government’s support to the community and the community championing tree planting campaign that was launched during a two days workshop at the biotechnology centre at Pap Kadundo in Seme subcounty.
The community sensitization covered high-quality seedling production as a basis for tree planting success with a long term goal to plant 100,000 trees in all institutions within the sub- county . With the effects of climate change, there is a growing interest in reducing the environmental impacts on climate change through seedling production.
According to the project lead officer Madam Beatrice OKello who is also the climate change officer, the campaign is intended to educate and empower the local community to plant more trees in order to increase the counties forest cover up from the 0.4% to a 10% cover.
Kisumu county expects to more than double the production of seedlings to meet reforestation goals and objectives leading to sustainability. The initiative is a step in the right direction in coping with climate change in the community.
Through the biotechnology Centre, the County climate change directorate seeks to establish seedlings production and tree nursery as a pilot project supported through the SEACAP project to plant 100,000 seedlings within Seme sub-county.
Vincent Ondieki, the SEACAP project coordinator said the tree planting campaign is one of Early actions on adaptation supported by Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
COMSA is a trusted partner in climate resilience support and impact management, to reduce the impact of climate change and provide invaluable benefits to communities and their environment.
“We are happy to work with the community and county to find a creative solution to Climate change which is one of the biggest global challenge, he said.
Workshop participants mainly comprised of farmers and tree nursery operators from Seme sub county and parts of Kisumu West.
At the end of the training, participants noted that the workshop had been an “eye-opener” as they learnt from the trainers as well as from other farmers by sharing practical experiences.
“I wish I had attended this training earlier. I now understand the importance of leaving enough space between trees and how to avoid wasting land by planting other crops around the trees until they are big. I was very happy to practically learn how to graft seedlings. I also learnt about the importance of pruning lower branches that do not bear fruit, but rather inhibit the growth of upper branches. Moreover, I now know that there are several varieties of environmental friendly trees,” Miss Quinta Ongoro, one of the youth participant noted at the end of the second day.
