Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment in enhanced fire surveillance, early warning systems and community-based fire management.
Speaking Tuesday at the opening of the 1st Ministerial Meeting and Third All-Member Gathering of the Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), held at a Nairobi Hotel, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Deborah Barasa noted that the government is strengthening response capacity through the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
While acknowlehing the rapid expansion of Africa’s urban population, the CS noted that sustainable forest management and forest based industries present powerful pathways for climate mitigation, adaptation, job creation, and economic diversification.
Looking ahead to the African COP in 2027, she described the meeting as a strategic opportunity for the continent to demonstrate leadership in climate action and environmental stewardship.
The CS highlighted FCLP as a critical platform for aligning national, regional, and global forest positive development efforts.
She stressed that ambition must be matched with finance. “Delivering on forest and land use commitments requires unlocking large scale investment, strengthening governance and land tenure systems, ensuring policy coherence across sectors, and mobilizing private capital through de-risking mechanisms.” CS Barasa stressed.
Speaking at the same event, Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi reaffirmed Kenya’s strong commitment to halting and reversing forest loss while advancing resilient, low carbon development.
He noted that Kenya’s legal and policy frameworks including the Forest Conservation and Management Act and the Climate Change Act anchor the country’s transition toward a climate resilient, forest positive economy.
PS further reported progress under the #15BillionTrees Growing Initiative, which seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and achieve at least 30 per cent national tree cover by 2032.
Other speakers included the Secretary of Forest Development, George Tarus, Emelyne Cheney, Director of the FCLP Secretariat, among others.
The event brought together the Ministriel Co- leads; Katie White (Minister, Climate Change, UK), Vickram Bharrat ( Minister, Natural Resources, Cooperative Republic of Guyana), Sherpa Co-leads Jo Macrae (Sherpa, UK), Kevin Hogan (Sherpa, Guyana), and Sherpas from 38 member countries and observers to strengthen collaboration on halting and reversing forest loss while advancing climate action and sustainable development.
