National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u has said the government is keen on localising solutions to combat climate change in the country.

Prof Ndung’u said the unpredictable weather conditions have had devastating effects on the country’s economy hence the need to invest in adaption and ecological restoration strategies to create resilience for communities.

‘The effects of climate change have led to prolonged droughts and the current torrential rains that have led to loss of lives, destruction of property and infrastructure. We need to mitigate the effects and salvage the economy of the country,’ said the CS.

Speaking on Friday when he led the National Tree Planting exercise in Muumandu forest in Machakos, Prof Ndung’u said the National Treasury was currently implementing the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLOCA) programme in the country to strengthen local resilience to the impacts of climate change.

‘The county governments are at the fore front of implementing th
is programme through communities by making sure that they invest in adaption and ecological restoration. The programme is supported by the World Bank, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands and the Kenyan government,’ added Ndung’u.

He underscored the need for residents in Machakos to plant trees that suit the region’s climactic conditions to ensure high rates of survival.

‘There is need for planting trees that fit the ecological conditions because that’s the only way to ensure survival. It also important for the trees to be managed well,’ he added.

The CS also asked residents to plant fruit trees especially mangoes and avocados for commercial purposes and disclosed plans to set up a mango processing plant in the county for value addition.

‘Kenyan mangoes have the best pulp in the world and we should in the next five years have a processing plant here in Machakos so that we can capitalise on our potential for mango production and export the pulp to other countries,’ said Ndung’u.

He rallied Kenyans to plant trees
saying besides combating climate change, Kenyans can reap benefits from emerging new markets like carbon credits.

‘Although it is our responsibility to restore the ecological zones we have destroyed through tree planting, we can also gain commercially through carbon credits,’ disclosed the CS.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti who accompanied the CS in the tree planting exercise said climate change was real and called on Kenyans to come out in large numbers to plant trees as one way of combating the effects of climate change.

Wavinya said the county governments have been instrumental in tree planting and called for collaboration with the national government to conserve the environment.

‘Close to 11 million trees have been planted in Machakos County since devolution started. This shows that devolution is working. Devolution is where the people are and where the impact should be felt,’ she said.

Also present was Machakos County Commissioner Josephine Ouko who said close to 1.2 million trees have been planted so far i
n Machakos in the last one year towards the government’s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.

Source: Kenya News Agency