Live Green Magazine Issue 021 by Kenya Climate Innovation Center

ISSUE 21

Commercial Forestry: The Untapped Gold

Sustainable commercial forestry that grows income

The business of planting trees

Building with timber, ticks the low carbon box Image: Shutterstock

ISSUE 21

Credits Executive Editor Ruth Ndegwa

Managing Editors Ernest Chitechi, Kennedy Ouma

Editor

Pamela Okutoyi

Writers Njeri Nganga, Dr. Edward Mungai, Borniventure Kinoti, Brenda Mulunga, Nancy Marangu, Tobias Meso

Photography Lisbeth Kamau and other sources

Layout

Levi Wanakacha and Brian Alili

Image: Shutterstock

Editorial Doing Business with nature…

Kenya has an ambitious goal of increasing its forest cover to 10% by 2030. How do we get there? Now, more than ever, companies are urged to recognize the fundamental role that nature’s goods and services play in business operations. Commercial forestry, which includes timber as well as pulp and paper, is fundamentally dependent on natural resources such as water, biodiversity, soil and carbon. To maintain competitiveness, differentiate themselves in the market and secure long-term resilience, companies along the supply chain should aim to manage the risks and opportunities associated with natural resources. Kenya Climate Innovation Centre, through the project, GrEYAP, has made a number of efforts and initiatives to build sustainability and resilience. Within this context, the company is working to improve understanding of how practices on the ground and sourcing or purchasing decisions downstream can impact on natural resources. KCIC understands that for the longterm supply of raw materials, it is important to empower the forestry sector to better manage forest resources. The company has come a

long way in improving the sustainable management of commercial forests; there is now an opportunity to make money while conserving the planet. Currently, KCIC is supporting 40 youth-led businesses in forestry and agroforestry for the next six months. Such projects combined with developments in science and technology, will enable industry leaders to address natural resource risks and build resilience in commercial forestry. This issue highlights the work of KCIC in conserving forests, how businesses in the forestry sector impact and depend on water, biodiversity, soil and carbon and looks at existing efforts to address the related challenges. It suggests that it is possible for the sustainable management of production landscapes to simultaneously benefit natural resources and build resilience in the commercial forestry sector.

Enjoy the read!

Pamela Okutoyi

Editor and Sustainability Communication expert

About GrEYAP Programme The United Nations Development Programme has developed the Green Economy Youth Activation Programme (GrEYAP) project. The Green Economy Youth Activation Programme (GrEYAP) project seeks to strengthen youth led businesses in forestry and agroforestry sectors by building their capacity in establishing and running sustainable business enterprises. The project will prioritize vulnerable youth groups and micro enterprises.

seedlings are also categorized as primary actors. Secondary actors are mainly in the value addition phase, where they utilize inputs from the primary actors. They include producers/manufacturers of: wood carvings, furniture and joinery, fiber boards, wooden transmission poles, prefabricated housing, russ rafters and non–timber products (fruits, honey, gums and resins, medicinal tree barks, sandalwood essential oils, tannins e.t.c).

Sustainable growth of private commercial forestry activity requires competitive timber product value chains to emerge, underpinned by effective support services. Furthermore, key constraints along the production cycle, timber processing and marketing value chain need to be overcome.

Successful applicants of this programme will receive technical support through business advisory, technical training, mentorship, technical training and networking opportunities to support them in scaling their businesses.

The proposed project therefore seeks to support enterprises to create sustainable jobs/livelihoods and wealth, while promoting climate mitigation and adaptation. These enterprises will be actors in the primary and secondary agroforestry value chains. The primary actors are engaged in the production of forestry products for use in their raw form such as: charcoal, firewood, poles and timber. Growers of tree

What is the role of KCIC in GrEYAP? KCIC is mandated to provide technical support services to the successful applicants within this programme. This will include the following: Innovation Bootcamp: This event will provide a platform for 40 youth innovators from various parts of the country to connect in order to collaborate and experience peerto-peer learning and networking;

foster dialogue and co-creation of solutions to challenges faced by youth innovators to strengthen the overall innovation ecosystem; as well as facilitate linkages between innovators and possible investors, incubator and mentorship programmes. The graduates of the boot camp will be admitted to the accelerator programme. Business Advisory Business advisory services tackle all aspects of business from managing finances, marketing the product or service better and more widely, embarking on research and development activities, to improving operations. We will provide training and technical expertise in areas such as sales and marketing, branding, legal requirements, investment readiness, communication and governance. We will also work with the businesses to refine their business models using the Business Model Canvas tool. Mentorship Our mentorship support is tailored to guide, handhold, encourage and support the entrepreneurs to find direction and work towards solutions that address existing business challenges while identifying opportunities to support sustainable

growth. It will include both individual and group sessions. Technical Training These training sessions address common gaps that cut across all the businesses that require technical knowledge or solutions. These may include lack of information on intellectual property, statutory compliance, governance e.t.c in which case we will offer relevant solutions and where necessary engage with the relevant institutions. This creates an opportunity for the entrepreneurs to widen their network and encourages them to proceed and resolve any existing challenges since a connection has been established. Networking This activity is embedded within each of the other activities to help the entrepreneurs find new customers, identify potential partnerships and grow. Through interactions, the entrepreneurs may be able to acquire potential business leads while also exploring the possibility of synergistic benefits that may be achieved through partnerships. It will also seek to promote intercounty interactions to tap into potential markets in the neighboring counties.

GrEYAP Clients

Arid Beehives and Honey client during the international forests day event at Machakos People’s park

Arid Bee hives and honey

Syler Nurseries

The enterprise fabricates beehives and sells them to farmers. Once the honey is ready for harvesting, Arid Bee hives harvests the honey, extract it from the honeycombs, package and sell it to consumers. The enterprise prides in providing quality honey and paying farmers well. One of their greatest milestones is being able to create employment and improve the livelihoods of farmers .

Slyver nurseries deals in propagation of certified hybrid and grafted tree seedlings. They sell the seedlings to farmers, institutions, government and non governmental organizations. By joining the GrEYAP project, the enterprise hopes to acquire a borehole to counter the challenge of unpredictable rains.

Stawi seeds client during the international forests day event at Machakos people’s park

Stawi Seed As a registered seed merchant with KEPHIS, Stawi seeds Ltd produces certified fruit tree seedlings for papaya, grafted apple mango, grafted pixie, grafted hass avocado and forest tree seeds such as Alberia caravan, caliandra, senna siamea and mellia volkensi. It also helps farmers establish fruit tree orchards and plant more forest tree cover. The empire Nursery is located in Machakos ASK showground next to ABC Church.

The Harvest View Agro Solutions-Tree Nursery The Harvest View Agro Solutions Tree Nursery is involved in tree seedlings production. Tree includes mangoes, citrus, avocado, exotic and indigenous forestry seedlings and ornamental plants such as athuja, palm spps, ash ork, alcaria, croton among others.. The business mainly targets individual farmers, Schools/institutions, County Government, NGOs, private and public firms. The enterprise has sold over 3000 quality seedlings.

The value of indigenous tree species in commercial forestry By Njeri Nganga

Image: Shutterstock

Somewhere on the edge of the Aberdares, a beekeeper smiles at her apiary. Around her bees, a thicket of greenery keeps the soil moist and soft beneath her feet. The scent of nectar hangs around her beehives. Anticipating a bountiful harvest, she puts on her bee suit, opens her hives, and walks past the protesting bees searching for honey. Despite the vibrant hum of the colony, her hives are surprisingly honey free. How can that be?

Nectar. There isn’t enough nectar for the bees to make surplus honey. The apiary sits in the middle of a tea plantation. Most of the trees in the area are cypress which does not provide the core ingredient for honey. In the eyes of bees, a tree isn’t just a tree. It’s part of an ecosystem. The diversity in a natural forest provides housing and food for different species. When agriculture replaces natural forests, monocropping destroys the

balance in the ecosystem, taking away food and nesting sites.

and stingless bees will not go beyond a kilometer.

With some help from a visiting student, our beekeeper finds a solution in the Dombeya tree. It is native to the area, thrives in cold weather, grows fast, and blooms in two years. The bottle brush tree she heard about from a one-day training in the warmer dryer Yatta area does not belong here.

During the World Bee day Celebrations in Nakuru this year, a presentation by Dr. Kiotoko of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) explained the heavy dependence stingless bees have on indigenous trees in Kakamega Forest.

Honey bees are more adaptable than some of their cousins. They travel up to 5 km to forage, while many solitary

The loss of indigenous trees to that ecosystem would be catastrophic to these wild populations.

Why should wild populations matter to a commercial forestry investor? Dr. Grace Asiko highlights the horticultural farmers for pollination profitability of stingless bee husbandry. services. However, since these native During her presentation during the pollinators set up their nests near or on World Bee Day celebration, she indigenous trees, commercial forests discussed how different species should feature a variety of native were instrumental in the pollination species to attract bees. This practice of rotunda and chandler varieties can diversify their income and restore of strawberries. The shape of the a natural ecosystem. strawberry determines its quality, Between regular honey, whose price symmetry being the ultimate goal. ranges between $5 and $12 per kilo, If the flowers aren’t pollinated stingless bee honey retailing between effectively, the resulting fruit cannot $30 and $170 per kilo, and pollinator reach the primary market, fetching a services, incorporating native tree lower price. species is lucrative for commercial A beekeeper can capture a colony forestry. It is the definition of a win-win. of bees and rent them out to

Njeri Nganga is a bee farmer in Nyeri

Sustainable commercial forestry that grows income By Dr. Edward Mungai

The advancement of forestry is intrinsic in achievement of sustainable development global goals. This is due to the intricate roles that they play in the ecosystem ranging from providing food through agroforestry, acting as carbon sinks thus promoting good health by absorbing approximately two billion tonnes of CO2 each year, providing raw materials for production of consumables and as a source of income through commercial forestry. In Kenya for example, there are five main forests that contribute to 75 percent of the entire country’s water supplies. Further, over 80 percent of energy consumed in Kenya is associated with forests.

becomes an economic pillar that needs to be advanced by actors in the government, non-State, and private sector. It is a major contributor to the economic growth of any country. Commercially, forestry has provided several opportunities that innovators and investors need to tap into. Countries need more investments in commercial forestry which will provide numerous opportunities for income generation and betterment of livelihoods. There will also be other opportunities around the forestry value chain including transport, design, processing, packaging and marketing among other support services.

Investment in these value chains is not There are also non–timber forestry only profitable but also sustainable products that include medicinal and considerate of making our world extracts, cosmetics. Forestry, therefore, a better place, improving the quality

of life and recognising that future generations will need to find a world that is habitable. Strategic partnerships in commercial forestry are consequently paramount to growth of the commercial forestry sector. The recent launch of Green Economy Youth Activation Programme (GrEYAP) project by Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) with the support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an example will accelerate development of commercial forestry in the country. The United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 provides a paradigm that promotes forests and their sustainable management. This is in line with promoting forest cover where in Kenya for instance there is a need to plant over 1.9 billion trees to achieve 10 percent forest cover. It is also in line with the recognition of the importance of forestry to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The GrEYAP project aimed at addressing an enormous gap in the wood sector in Kenya, where the country lost 10 percent of its forest cover between 2001 and 2018 despite growing importation of wood.

There is a need for more projects/ programmes which are innovation -led if the challenge of forest cover is

to be addressed. Noting that commercial forestry is a relatively new concept among many players, there is a need to build on the capacity and especially overall business development services among investors to create an economically, financially and socially sustainable enterprise. This can be achieved through technical skills transfer from experts to innovators which can be done through bootcamps, but better still, via continuous mentorship. GrEYAP project has incorporated this as one of the services it will be offering through incubation and mentorship facilities within KCIC. Notably, investors in this field also need access to requisite information especially from research done by forestry institutions such as Kenya Forestry Research Institute. Innovators need access to seed centers across the country as well as specialized training. Such tailor-made services will promote sustainability of entrepreneurs’ activities and improve the output of their investment. Development partners and financial institutions need to recognise the humongous impact that a thriving commercial forestry sector will create and consequently, come in with tailored financing models focused on revitalisation of the sector.

To further incentivise commercial forestry, the government needs to work closely with different stakeholders to diagnose and enhance existing regulatory and policy frameworks. The KCIC-UNDP programme for example has been created to align with the government’s Big Four agenda and Vision 2030. The Draft Forest Policy, Forest Conservation and Management Bill, 2015, Forest Report recommendations, National Strategy for Achieving and

Maintaining 10percent tree cover by 2022 all need to be aligned to create an enabling environment for the sector to thrive. Investing in commercial forestry will have many benefits from the household level to the national and regional front by not only improving livelihoods but also opening more opportunities for industrialization. It is therefore a clarion call for allied actors to support this sector. Dr Edward Mungai is a global sustainability leader

What you need to know about sustainable wood By Pamela Okutoyi

Once upon a time you simply went out and bought wood, wherever it came from and however it was harvested. These days preserving the planet’s trees, woodlands and forests are an imperative essential for the future survival of the human race and something we absolutely have to get a grip on. As a result, buying wood has become quite a complex matter. All about sustainable wood If you don’t want to support illegal logging or encourage deforestation, you need to be aware of how to buy sustainable wood. We thought it’d be useful to take a look at the subject to help you avoid buying the ‘wrong’ stuff.

What is sustainable wood? Sustainable wood comes from sustainably managed forests. It’s renewable because the forest stewards manage the landscape to prevent damage to eco-systems, watersheds, wildlife and the trees themselves, taking a long term rather than short term view of the resource. Sustainability in this context means the forest should still be there for your grandchildren and great grandkids, and be able to soak up carbon emissions and keep our air clean for generations to come, as well as a being haven for wildlife. Wood from unsustainable sources, on the other hand, is chopped down without a second thought leaving bare areas that, unless they’re carefully treated, never really recover

to their former glory. The effects are clear – illegal logging leads to wholesale destruction. Why bother buying sustainable wood? Brazilian Amazon deforestation might not seem very relevant. It happens thousands of miles from home, exotic and remote. You might not realize the harm that buying new Mahogany flooring or Teak garden furniture does. But buying unsustainable wood has a profound effect on the areas where it’s harvested, including human rights abuses, hunting of endangered species, threatening the lifestyles and even the lives of indigenous tribes, as well as making countless rare and threatened creatures homeless.

from conifers like Pine and Fir. Simply because they’re replaceable, fastgrowing species like Pine trees tend to be more sustainable than slowgrowing trees like Oak. Oak forests have to be managed carefully to make them sustainable, grown and harvested in the right way, but it can be done. How to identify sustainable wood Always look for official certification of the wood’s sustainable source. Bamboo

While you can’t buy certified Bamboo, the wood can be sustainable. It depends on its origin. Bamboo grows across vast areas of the earth in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, north Australia Just 8% of the world’s forest is properly and the Americas. It’s amazingly light protected from destruction. The timber and strong and grows like mad, so industry is insatiable, as is our demand can be naturally sustainable. It’s used for wood. And much of the time for furniture and floors, scaffolding, it’s harvested unsustainably despite fences, bridges and even bricks. With the best efforts of conservationists, about 1500 species it’s very versatile, governments and lawmakers. Sadly, and can be harvested in 3-5 years money often speaks louder than compared with 10-20 years for most common sense and today is often softwoods. more important than the future. In Kenya, for example, timber production What about sustainable wooden demands more trees than there are in flooring? existence. In some areas there are no Wood flooring looks fantastic, but it’s trees left and wood is being smuggled always a good idea to make sure the in from Tanzania to meet demand. flooring you’re buying comes from Which woods are most sustainable? sustainable sources. The thing is, there are so many tree species and wood Timber is usually classified as either types out there, it is a minefield. hardwood, from broad leafed trees, such as Beech and Oak, or softwood

Image: Shutterstock

The business of planting trees By Borniventure Kinoti

With the global population rising steadily, more timber and timber products will be required to meet the demand. However, our consumption as humans has grown exponentially. Our never-ending appetite for timber is not showing signs of slowing down.

Therefore, we need to implement commercial forestry that embraces; biodiversity and climate change and sustains our agriculture. In Kenya, the demand for timber products stands at 45 Million cubic meters against a supply of 30 Million.

That’s a 15 Million deficit that can be reached sustainably. The suitable investment can meet the demand in Kenya, satisfy the current 4 Billion dollar deficit for wood in Africa, and increase the forest cover from the current 7.2% to the target of 10%. Companies like Komaza have come up with a way of dealing with this untapped gold by selling the shovels directly to small scale farmers to dig for themselves. Their goal is to meet Africa’s $ 30 Billion wood deficit as of 2030, with 80% cost disruption vs. traditional extensive plantation forestry. Today, Komaza is the largest forestry company in Kenya without owning a single plantation. This has been accomplished by the partnership with 22000 Small scale Farmers and 7 Million trees planted to date. The Komaza case study proves there is Power in Numbers. The business model is the best for commercial forestry as it embeds improving soil health and growing trees sustainably while boosting the incomes of smallholder farmers. Their model also proves cost-effective, standing at around 1 % of the current carbon capture technologies globally.

In the next 20 years, Africa’s demand for timber is expected to experience a 500% growth. The fastest way to scale is by leveraging the estimated 33 Million Smallholder farms in Africa to contribute to commercial forestry. Planting the trees on their farms will increase their incomes, control soil erosion on their farms, and combat climate change. The scale for adoption will be easy, as global market prices for farmers’ produce keep fluctuating for most crops. The high cost of inputs has led to increased cost of production, making the farmers experience high losses. With Commercial forestry as a backup plan, most farmers will adopt it, with high potential for scaling. Investment for this untapped opportunity lies in the hands of private companies, NGOs, Venture Capitalists, and potential international investors. The Return On investment for commercial forestry is expected to double if not triple in the coming future, proving to be a worthy investment for early investors. This is an investment opportunity that is tested, proven, and trusted.

Bornventure Kinoti is a freelance writer and climate change activist

Image: Shutterstock

What is the role of the government in commercial forestry? By Brenda Mulunga

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), local community engagement, strong policy signals, and long-term financing are critical ingredients for forest restoration. In Kenya, for example, the country’s 2010 Constitution set an ambitious goal of ensuring 10% forest cover. Research estimates the cost of increasing this tree cover to KES 48 billion (USD$442 million), while the cost of inaction at a far higher KES 168 billion (USD$1.55 billion).

KCIC supports businesses that are modeled around the ideas of marketable tree or tree product farming. Such innovations focus on responsible forestry harvesting, afforestation, and re-afforestation. In addition, the organization promotes sustainable practices in forest management and harvesting and uses technology for forest monitoring. Commercial forestry refers to systematically planting those trees in the forests that can be commercially

exploited. For instance, planting trees to produce pulp and paper used to manufacture books, pencils, and wood for furniture, among other uses. According to the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, forestry contributes to 3.6 percent of Kenya’s GDP, excluding charcoal and direct subsistence uses. Governments must tap into commercial forestry to grow economically and empower young people by encouraging tree planting projects and businesses. Trees’ benefits include increasing economic stability, adding beauty and improving personal health, saving energy, reducing air and noise pollution, conserving water and reducing soil erosion, fighting the atmospheric greenhouse effect, and modifying the local climate. Commercial forestry is an important aspect that every government needs to consider to alleviate or reduce the impact of climate change brought on by the lack of forests. Trees are no longer just used for shade or to bring about rain. Governments realize that making tree planting and commercial harvesting forests is advantageous to the community and the government financially. When farmers are involved in commercial

forestry, they can maintain trees and ensure that there is no lack of trees in the future. When they harvest mature trees, they are also planting more. Protecting and restoring all types of forests, whether indigenous or commercial, through tree planting and reforestation ensures that the environment will not deteriorate as fast as it currently is. When the world starts to produce and consume food more sustainably, this will also contribute to tackling the climate crisis on our hands. These measures will help reverse the loss of nature and, at the same time, protect the future for the coming generations. When individuals or corporations push the government to set ambitious policies that favor resilient clean, renewable energy for all, energy efficiency, and net-zero development, accountability will lead to tangible and realistic action to combat climate change. “We need a rapid and deep change in how we do business, generate power, build cities, move, and feed the world. if we don’t urgently change our way of life, we jeopardize life itself.” António Guterres, UN Secretary General

Brenda Mulunga is a Sustainability Writer at KCIC Consulting

Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) is one of the largest innovation centres in Africa supporting innovative climate change solutions and sustainable development. KCIC supports Small and Medium Enterprises through provision of business support, financing and access to information while also providing strategic direction on matters of policy, advocacy and sustainable development. To achieve its objective KCIC has two other subsidiaries namely; KCIC Consulting Limited (KCL) and Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV). Through the two entities, we support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through technical support and financing. We offer consulting services to government institutions, international organizations, corporations, SMEs, national and international NGOs, among others.

OF IMPACT

Over the past 10 years, as a strategic partner in climate change innovations, our impact on society is significant as illustrated below

300,000 Tons

USD 49,400,000

2,126 SMEs

Carbon Dioxide Mitigated by supporting key innovations across the climate change space

Green capital mobilized from financial institutions, donors, and other investors to support SMEs.

Incubated and supported in the sectors of agribusiness, renewable energy, commercial forestry, water management and waste management.

780,540 People

30,501 Jobs

USD 33,400,000

Indirectly impacted through clients interactions.

Created within a period of 10 years across the country.

Revenues generated by supported companies.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF DENMARK 'DQLGD

Trees, poles and money Every young graduate hopes to find a white-collar job and earn a stable income. However, this was not the story of Hellen Maina and her friends in Laikipia County. After staying jobless for a while, they sort to sell tree seedlings to farmers. With time this idea has evolved. Today, Hellen runs Deep Oceans Timberyard enterprise, which deals with tree nurseries and sells treated fencing poles. The company buys trees from farmers and replaces them with two seedlings for every tree cut. “When we buy a tree from a farmer, we sell two seedlings acting as the replacement,” Said Helen. Helen learned about KCIC through a friend enrolled in the AgriBiz program. The company is now four months old since being enrolled into GrEYAP and has already received assistance in business registration. According to Hellen, KCIC is assisting her company in acquiring tree-cutting permits and certifications. The company has also received technical support, marketing, and branding of its products. When asked how this support offered by KCIC has helped her business,

By Pamela Okutoyi

Hellen says “she has been able to create great business networks. She was recently invited to NTV to showcase her company products. Since we attended the interview at NTV, which KCIC facilitated, we are now well sought after and have been able to expand our client base. This has boosted our sales and, in return, increased our profits,” she said. Helen encourages the people from the Northern Frontier counties to embrace the use of treated fencing poles since they are affordable and last longer than regular concrete fencing poles. Insect resistance is another benefit of the poles. Insects are a severe menace to any wooden building. They easily penetrate wood, causing it to deteriorate. Treating wood aids in preventing pests and insects from harming the wood. When treated wood is utilized in construction, the rest of the building is also protected from further insect damage. The procedure deters spiders and cockroaches from making the building their home. The more structural integrity wood possesses, the stronger it is.

Inclusive forest ecosystems for persons with disabilities By Nancy Marangu

Image: Shutterstock

Natural ecosystems can provide sustainable means of livelihood for all, in addition to mitigating natural disasters such as floods, landslips, and avalanches. Whereas forests supply communities with water for farming and sustainable agriculture, not everyone has equal access to these benefits. Due to topography, most regions lack good infrastructure accessible by persons with disabilities (PWDs). Therefore, the need to remain akin that much more needs to be done on disability mainstreaming within the natural ecosystems.

To begin with, policymakers with institutions of learning and research agencies ought to conduct research to ascertain the numbers of PWDs living within natural ecosystem zones/ areas. This will ensure that PWDs are identified and accessible infrastructure created for them. The research should be done from a social inclusion perspective whereby PWDs are involved during the entire research and development process to facilitate holistic involvement and community receptivity. PWDs understand challenges exposed to them by

natural ecosystems as well as benefits/ gains they can derive, implying that they ought to be empowered and enlightened to develop their solutions/ interventions. Secondly, through capacity building, encourage the uptake of forestry management among youth with disabilities. The World Commission envisions this goal for Protected Areas from three broad perspectives. To connect new generations who have not had opportunities to engage with nature to connect with nature in safe, inclusive, and transformative ways. Besides investing in children, particularly school going, to explore the benefits and examine innovative ways children can be supported to experience nature through exposure. Furthermore, the commission aspires to design engaging platforms for youth with disabilities to network and share experiences. Inspire them to take the lead in identifying sustainable wealth creation and generation projects derived from natural ecosystems. This will raise an inclusive generation that supports action for nature and will champion conservation with

confidence to inspire their peers that the ecosystem belongs to all. Moreover, providing accessible and assistive technologies is a human right and a precondition for equal opportunities and participation for PWDs within the natural ecosystem space. This will enable PWDs to access forests easily and without restrictions that may arise due to a lack of accessible infrastructure and assistive technologies. Essentially, much more has to be done by the management of parks and forests as custodians of protected areas to ensure that PWDs can access the assistive technologies. This requires that natural ecosystem policy requirements/guidelines be re-designed to embody an inclusive economic and social benefits model for PWDs. Therefore, to realize the fulfillment of nature conservation while considering ecologically sustainable development, social justice, climate change adaptation, and mitigation, our ecosystems must be inclusive for PWDs to ensure we all benefit equitably.

Nancy Marangu is a communication and public policy analyst

Image: Shutterstock

Building with timber, ticks the low carbon box By Tobias Meso

A new study has offered a compelling justification for why all buildings should be made of wood. The study also revealed that shifting to timber products can effectively counter the effects of climate change. Although it may not be as visible as other industries, the construction industry contributes significantly to the climate

catastrophe. Buildings account for around 40% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with about a quarter of those coming from manufacturing and using building materials. Since the mid-twentieth century, human activity has upset the atmospheric balance and become

the primary cause of global warming. The need for action is critical, and we must strike a balance between our economic activities and the need to protect our natural environment. The only renewable building material available is responsibly sourced wood, which is naturally grown and removes CO2 from the atmosphere. The carbon that the growing trees have withdrawn from the air is subsequently stored in wood products; about 50 percent of the dry weight of wood is carbon. Forests, both sustainably managed and unmanaged, are important carbon sinks. CO2 emissions are a substantial result of their conversion to other land uses. The main options for mitigating climate change using forestry and wood products include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the forests’ capacity to store carbon. Carbon sequestration is now included in the management objectives of several forest management programs. If timber buildings can be spread out worldwide, they will provide a massive potential as long-term carbon sinks. Furthermore, the emissions generally connected with the production of steel and concrete, two of the most regularly used construction materials, would be reduced significantly. These two together account for almost 15% of global CO2 emissions. As a result,

switching to wood would result in a significant reduction in emissions. Trees can be used to make highervalue products like mass timber and more cost-effective products like fiberboard, bioenergy, and other biobased products. Different tree species can be utilized to make more timber products, allowing producers to use local wood sources. Forest cover has to be maintained and increased significantly to shift to timber products and have a continuous supply of the products. Several options exist for reversing deforestation and tree loss on savannahs and farms. One option is to preserve the remaining forests and trees. The trees should be protected from illegal logging techniques and other human activities that cause tree loss by forming conservation areas. Governments should step in to help with the use of timber products. To govern tree harvest, proper measures in terms of rules and regulations must be established, as such a move, if not controlled, might result in massive deforestation and the long-term loss of forest cover. To improve forest cover, the public sector should encourage tree-planting efforts. The private sector can also lead economic and production activities, while the government provides supportive policies.

Tobias Meso is a Sustainability Writer at KCIC Consulting

Simon Ngunga the founder of Harvest View Agro Solutions a greenbiz client with KCIC officials during the International forests day event at machakos peoples park

Nicholas Musili, the Greening Machakos Youth Network CBO Vice Secretary during the international forests day celebration at machakos people’ park.

Lucy Wanza an employee at Windsor Farm, at the International forests day celebration at Machakos peoples park.

Arid beehives and honey client during the international forests day event at Machakos People’s park.

Greening Machakos youth network CBO group during the international forests day at the Machakos people’s park.

Stawi seeds client during the international forests day event at Machakos people’s park.

Machakos county residents present at the Machakos peoples park, picking seeds for their tree nurseries during the international forests day celebration.

Kenya Forest Service official planting a tree during the international forests day celebration at Machakos people’s park.

KCIC officials during the international forests day event at Machakos people’s park.

KCIC and UNDP officials during the international forests day event at Machakos people’s park

ISSUE 21

KENYA CLIMATE VENTURES

A publication of Kenya Climate Innovation Center. Strathmore Business School Building, 3rd Floor, Ole Sangale Road, Madaraka |PO Box 49162 – 00200, Nairobi, Kenya. (+254) 703 034 701 |www.kenyacic.org | communication@kenyacic.org MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF DENMARK Danida

This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.