The launch brought together representatives from the 12 implementing counties, CoG, National Implementing Entities, World Bank and other partners

Council of Governors CEO Mary Mwiti, Forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi, CS Deborah Barasa during the launch of the project /HANDOUT

The State Department for Forestry has launched a five-year, US$200 million programme (Sh26 billion) aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, improving watershed management, strengthening climate resilience and enhancing community livelihoods.

Implemented through the State Department for Forestry under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, with financing from the World Bank, the Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP), seeks to expand the area under sustainable land and watershed management while improving the livelihoods of communities in targeted project areas.

Environment CS Dr Deborah Barasa said Kenya's forests, water towers, rivers, wetlands and other natural ecosystems are fundamental to our national development.

“They provide water for domestic use, agriculture, industry and energy generation, while supporting biodiversity, regulating our climate and sustaining millions of livelihoods,” she said.

Barasa said these ecosystems, however, face increasing pressure from land degradation, unsustainable land-use practices and climate change.

“The consequences are evident in declining watershed productivity, soil erosion, reduced water availability and increased vulnerability to droughts and floods. Environmental degradation is therefore not merely a conservation concern; it is an economic and development challenge.”

Barasa said the restoration approach recognises that restoration must go beyond tree planting.

“It must address the underlying causes of degradation, improve land management, protect biodiversity and create sustainable economic opportunities for communities.”

The CS said the state has prioritised landscape and ecosystem restoration through the 15 billion Tree Growing Programme, aimed at achieving 30 per cent national tree cover by 2032.

She said the commitment is supported by the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2025–2032, which provides a framework for restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes.

While calling for immediate rollout of the program, forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi called for prudent utilisation of the funds.

Kenya Forestry Research Institute CEO Dr Jane Njuguna said they are ready to provide technologies that will help the implementation of the project.

Njuguna called for the training of the local communities in order to take an active role in restoration efforts.

Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator Alex Lemarkoko appealed for more resources from donour agencies, adding that seed propagation is an expensive venture.

The initiative seeks to grow 240 million tree seedlings, out of which 20 million will be agroforestry while 220 million will be indigenous.

The project also targets 10 tree-crop value chains.

It will see close to one million people benefit.

The project represents a significant step in the Government’s efforts to address land degradation, climate change and declining ecosystem services, which continue to threaten environmental sustainability, economic growth and the well-being of communities across the country.

KEWASIP aligns with the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (NLERS) 2023–2032, the Presidential 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

The project supports Kenya’s ambitious target of restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2032 under the 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative.

It also complements the State Department for Forestry’s commitment to restoring 5.1 million hectares of degraded land.

Achieving these targets will require coordinated action across national and county governments, communities, development partners and other stakeholders.

County governments have a critical role to play through the

implementation of devolved forestry functions and the integration of landscape restoration into county development priorities.

The State Department for Forestry is also at an advanced stage of finalising the Adopt-a-Forest guidelines, which are intended to strengthen forest conservation and sustainable management.

County governments are encouraged to adopt forests within their jurisdictions as part of broader efforts to accelerate progress towards the national tree-growing and landscape restoration targets.

Natural resources underpin Kenya’s economy, supporting more than 80 per cent of livelihoods and contributing significantly to national economic output.

However, approximately 88.6 per cent of the country’s land is at risk of degradation, intensifying challenges related to poverty, food insecurity and climate vulnerability.

Through integrated landscape restoration and improved watershed

management, KEWASIP will contribute to reversing land degradation,

enhancing ecosystem services, conserving biodiversity and strengthening the resilience of communities whose livelihoods depend on natural resources.

The project will also contribute to the economic transformation agenda by supporting agricultural productivity, strengthening food security, creating employment opportunities and promoting sustainable income-generating activities.

It will also contribute to improved land productivity and more sustainable food systems are expected to create opportunities for rural communities while supporting long-term environmental sustainability.

KEWASIP will be implemented across five priority landscapes; Marsabit, Marmanet, Nyambene Hills, Chyulu Hills and Shimba Hills, spanning 12 counties; Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Samburu, Baringo, Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Tana River and Kwale.

To maximize impact, the Project will focus on critical geographical boundaries known as hydrosheds, which define watershed and river network structures.

These areas have been identified based on the presence of gazetted water towers, major rivers, and their downstream systems.

Over its five-year implementation period, the project targets the rehabilitation of 200,000 hectares of degraded ecosystems and aims to directly and indirectly benefit approximately 750,000 people.

Priority beneficiaries include Community Interest Groups (CIGs) engaged in natural resource management, Nature-Based Enterprises, Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups and Marginalised Communities.

Through targeted interventions, the project seeks to strengthen community participation in natural resource management while expanding opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

KEWASIP is expected to deliver expanded sustainable land and watershed management, Increased area under improved land management and watershed restoration practices.

It will also lead to Rehabilitation of degraded landscapes and improved conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem

Services and improved water security and climate resilience.

The project will also improve the livelihoods of the communities through diversified income sources, increased economic opportunities and improved livelihoods for rural communities.