Plan provides opportunity for Kenyan communities to benefit from forests.

NAIROBI, KENYA: The International Day of Forests 2015, Forest||Climate||Change, is celebrated globally on March 21 every year with an intention of highlighting opportunities and challenges in ways which forests and climate change are linked and to rally global support for greater action.

This is based on the fact that a lot has been achieved and much more need to be done. We are all aware that trees and forests are of invaluable importance: they act as water catchments, purify air , provide habitat for biodiversity and greatly work as buffers against the changing climate.

As we celebrate this day, Jilore community Forest Association is set to benefit from forests through participatory Forest Management Plan which will be followed by signing of Forest Management Agreement. This Agreement will allow the communities to engage in livelihood activities such as beekeeping, silkworm and butterfly farming, Eco-tourism and seedlings raising for increased incomes and livelihood improvement.

The process started with registration of the CFA spearheaded by the Kenya Forests Working Group, way back in 2008 together with Kenya Forest Service and local community, through a participatory process that involved key stakeholders among them the Nature Kenya, Arocha Kenya and Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forestry Research Institute.

The Forest Act of 2005 provides for the participation of forest adjacent communities in the management of forests though recognised legal entities called Community Forest Associations. In this respect, Kenya Forest Service is required by the same law to prepare Forest Management Plans together with community and other stakeholders in a participatory manner within the respective forest stations.

However despite the gains made in the forest through this arrangement where communities now engage in forest based enterprises such as honey processing, briquette making, tree seedling raising, aloe soap/cosmetic production much cannot be realised if the ongoing forest fires which are believed to be politically instigated and widespread illegal activities are not stopped in many forests around the country and if some of the functions which are yet to be transferred to the County governments are delayed.

The writer is National Coordinator, Kenya Forest Working Group