By Jackson Bambo
Kenya marked the 2017 International Day of Forests (IDF) on 21 March with activities in Ramisi, Kwale County, aimed at raising awareness on the importance of all types of woodlands and trees, and to highlight ways through which they sustain and protect communities.
The theme of this year’s IDF was Forests and Energy and speakers at the event underscored the importance of wood energy in improving people’s lives, powering sustainable development and mitigating climate change.
It was acknowledged that over the years forests have provided fuel for heating, cooking, sterilizing drinking water and meeting industrial needs. Woodlands have protected watersheds that enable hydroelectric generation and the relationship between forests and energy has become even more critical. Cheap, easily accessible fossil fuels are running out, and their use releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, driving climate change, acidifying oceans and posing to threat to human wellbeing.
The Kenya Forests Working Group, a forum chaired by the East African Wild Life Society, aims to promote sustainable forest management in Kenya through research, advocacy, networking and partnerships to improve livelihoods. As the country’s population grows and competition for land becomes acute, the production of more bioenergy could lead to food and water shortages and damaged ecosystems.
Pollution and climate change, along with the harmful impacts of drilling, mining, and transportation of fossil fuels pose a serious threat to the natural treasures. It is critical that Kenya moves away from fossil fuels and swiftly toward renewable, non-polluting, and environmentally sustainable sources of energy.
A conservation strategy based on improved energy efficiency, transition to cleaner fuels, and investment in renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar power, offers enormous promise. Clean, efficient cook stoves will improve the health of millions of people affected by smoke from rudimentary stoves.
The need for renewable energy, and the economic opportunities it presents, must be tempered with a realistic evaluation of its impacts. Poorly designed or sited renewable energy projects can have serious negative environmental impacts.
KFWG urges policy makers, project developers and others to carefully consider the following issues when evaluating renewable energy proposals: What social and environmental safeguards are needed to manage these risks? And can we produce more energy and still achieve our goal of zero forest loss and degradation?
