Northern Kenya

Garissa environmentalists call for restoration programs in drought and flood-Hit areas

Garissa County Executive Committee Member for County Affairs, Sahra Musa planting a tree. (Photo: Issa Hussein)

By Issa Hussein | Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Led by the Garissa County Director for Environment, Mulki Mohamed, they highlighted the devastating impact of these extreme climate shocks on local communities, leading to widespread poverty.

Environmentalists in Garissa County on Wednesday called for restoration programs for Balambala and Lagdera sub-counties, which have been severely affected by cycles of drought and floods.

Led by the Garissa County Director for Environment, Mulki Mohamed, they highlighted the devastating impact of these extreme climate shocks on local communities, leading to widespread poverty.

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Speaking during World Environmental Day at Madogashe Municipality, Mulki called for concerted efforts from national and county governments, as well as donor partners, to restore livelihoods for both livestock and crop farmers affected by these climate shocks.

"Climate change is real in these situations, where a combined disaster of floods and drought is reducing local communities to extreme poverty unless combined measures of restoration and mitigation are put in place," she said.

She also cautioned the community against rampant bushfires, which are destroying large areas of pasture land that could serve as reserves during drought emergencies.

Abdikadir Aden, of the One Million Trees Organisation, called on the government and donor partners to increase efforts on environmental conservation to reduce the extreme challenges of climate change in the worst-hit areas. He also stressed the need to enforce campaigns against environmental degradation and empower local conservation groups.

Garissa County Executive Committee Member for County Affairs, Sahra Musa, who was the chief guest during the event, promised to mobilise donor partners to work with the county government on community livelihood restoration programs. She noted that climate change-induced challenges have seriously affected local pastoralist communities.

She urged locals to avoid activities that degrade the environment, warning that such actions would worsen the already threatened ecosystem.

"We need to stop cutting down important trees for charcoal burning and firewood. This is uncalled for. We need to understand the importance of vegetation," she insisted.

Sahra also called upon women to take the lead in efforts to conserve and sustain the environment.

Lagdera Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner, Kose Ndalo, supported the call for massive tree planting within Lagdera Sub-County. He urged the local community to regularly plant trees at home and in institutions to help the environment withstand the challenges of climate change.

Dennis Amakanji, Senior Forester with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), stated that their organisation was ready to support community groups and school teachers with best tree planting practices, in support of the countrywide presidential campaign on tree planting.

The celebrations, which attracted many donor agencies and government organisations, including CARE Kenya, Ustawi USAID, Mercy Corps, Womankind Kenya, Kenya Red Cross, KeNHA, Garissa University, National Gender and Equality Commission, KEFRI, Save the Children, Equity Bank, and Pastoralist Girls Initiative, began with a tree planting activity at Madogashe Girls Secondary School.