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Oh, how powerful trees are! They are natural carbon suckers and storers. When you walk out and see trees growing and swaying to the rhythm sung by the wind give them some respect.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of protecting and increasing our forest covers. According to National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya has a forest cover of 7.4% as of 2020. The government plans to raise that amount to 10% forest cover by the end of 2022.
Kenya has suffered the adverse effects of cutting down trees and illegal logging which has severely dented the population of trees in Kenya. Originally, since the rains became very erratic, there have been prolonged periods of drought. In other areas, like Baringo and Nakuru counties, there has been extreme flooding such that institutions were submerged in water.
It’s a way of nature fighting back after years of mistreating it by cutting down trees and replacing them with human establishments. The late Prof. Wangari Mathai said when you fight nature, nature will fight back.
The predictable rain patterns have drastically changed over time and global warming has been on the rise. Since the tree population in Kenya was almost reduced to 6% at one time, greenhouse gases have been emissions have been slowly but gradually harming the environment.
Why are trees so important?
The government of Kenya had set a target of 10% forest cover by 2030. But in 2021, that deadline was revised to the end of 2022 because of the urgency of the matter. Trees are so crucial to earth and man that there would be no continuity of generations or life in general without them.
Trees, unlike animals, take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. The tree leaves have tiny holes called stomata which absorb CO2 from the air. Stomata are located on the underside of the leaf. Additionally, there is a green pigment which gives leaves their colour called Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll offers the platform where CO2 and water from the leaves react together to give oxygen.
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