LANDSCAPE RESTORATION
Land degradation has direct impacts on human population and on loss of ecosystem services. Decline in ecosystem services in turn increasingly impacts daily livelihoods and hampers socioeconomic development in the areas most affected by land degradation. Most regions of the Africa suffer from several forms of environmental degradation, leading to desertification and with its detrimental impact on food and agricultural productivity and production. Africa loses an estimated 5 million hectares of tropical forest area per year. Land degradation is estimated to affect about 230 million hectares annually. In Kenya, Arid and semi-arid drylands cover approximately over 80% of Kenya’s landmass and are home to almost 30 and 70% of the human and livestock populations, respectively. Pastoral livestock–crop production systems constitute the main economic activity and source of livelihood. In Kenya, land degradation has widely been considered as a major environmental challenge threatening the livelihoods of over 12 million people living in degraded lands. Nearly 80% of Kenya’s landmass is affected by land degradation. It has been estimated that approximately 30–40% of the arid and semi-arid lands are rapidly being lost through degradation and an additional 2% have completely been degraded. In this regard, there is urgent need to address land degradation. Hearts of Green has initiated agroforestry, afforestation and reforestation projects in degraded forest sites as well as on farm Hearts of Green empowers farmers in agroforestry practices by training them on species matching, silvicultural operations as well as sustainable land management. Raising the tree canopy over a mere 10% of farmland allows us to capture 3.3 billion tCO2e annually. This quantity equals approximately one-fifth of the yearly emissions generated by the worldwide food industry. Moreover, expanded tree coverage enhances the durability of crops, fosters biodiversity, and manages pests, yielding substantial and enduring advantages for both local farmers and ecosystems. This ensures that the farmer gets maximum yields from his farm and also conserves the environment at the same time by safeguarding crucial water reservoirs, upholding soil integrity, and mitigating surplus carbon in the atmosphere.
Afforestation & Reforestation
Kenya’s forest cover stands at 7.4%, 3.6% (NEMA, 2023) short of the constitutionally accepted 10% forest cover. This is aggravated by an abated environmental destruction of trees for biomass production, encroachment of forest land by farmers and developers and forest fires. This calls for a concerted effort among all stakeholders to increase forest cover for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Hearts of Green is collaborating with Kenya Forest Service, County Governments, Kenya Water Tower Agency, and the Private sector among other stakeholders to initiate afforestation and reforestation programmes in the five critical water towers of Kenya including Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, the Mau Complex, Cherangany and Mt. Elgon.
COMBATING DEFORESTATION
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), drylands take up 41.3% of the land surface. This is a significant proportion of our land to disregard as wastelands, considering that they are habitable and part of the remaining land includes some mountains. Globally, 24% of the land is degrading. About 1.5 billion people directly depend on these degrading areas. Over the past century, humanity has cleared more than 1 billion hectares of forests worldwide.
Hearts of Green works with Government Agencies, the private sector and communities to restore degraded lands that are at risk of turning into arid and semi-arid lands due to climate change through the following approaches.
Promoting Ecosystem Services
Forests play a crucial role in supporting the resilience of “ecosystem services,” preserving natural resources that provide benefits to humans and improve social welfare. The act of planting Indigenous trees in areas previously deforested can revive our most critical ecosystems. This action not only encourages sustainable agricultural methods but also creates fresh prospects for local communities. Hearts of Green empowers forest-adjacent communities to restore degraded lands so that they can continue to provide their hydro-ecological economic and social-cultural functions.
Supporting Local Livelihoods
Forests support millions of community members by providing livelihoods through agriculture, pastoralism and economic enterprises. Supporting these communities to initiate Nature-Based Enterprises (NBEs) reduces dependence on forest wood products such as timber and charcoal.
Development of silviculture, beekeeping, ecotourism, water harvesting techniques, efficient energy technologies and kitchen gardening are some of the initiatives that Hearts of Green promotes to provide diversified livelihoods options to communities
FOREST CONSERVATION
Forests and Carbon Emissions
Trees play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through sequestration. This in turn aids in lessening the effects of global warming. Forests serve as a primary reservoir for carbon, soaking up 7.6 billion metric tons each year. This underscores the detrimental consequences of deforestation on the environment. Since 1850, deforestation has accounted for approximately 30% of all carbon emissions. In 2022 alone, deforestation and agricultural activities released 3.9 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere. It is therefore critical that we preserve standing forests from threats associated with development as well as climate change. Development of such schemes as Payment for ecosystem services, non-tree-based nature-based solutions and carbon trading can go a long way in providing alternative livelihood options for communities that depend on natural forests for their sustenance
Partnerships For Conservation
Preserving forests involves intricate efforts that demand cooperation among various stakeholders across different levels.
Hearts of Green collaborates with local communities, governments, industry players, and technical partners in conservation initiatives tailored to unique regional settings. Simultaneously, these endeavours align with international standards to support effective forest preservation.
SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Installing Community Nurseries
Establishing community nurseries fosters the growth of local businesses and enhances self-reliance while improving the quality of seedlings for reforestation initiatives. In collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service, we mobilize and support communities to establish tree nurseries as an income-generating activity. Fruit trees and indigenous trees are preferred for agroforestry and forest restoration initiatives. With the 15 Billion trees by 2032 target by the President of Kenya, there is need to enhance production of quality seedlings, especially from communities.
Empowering Local Communities
At the core, forest conservation projects empower communities. Trees are vital resources for locals, yet overexploitation can harm forests. Hearts of Green focuses on long-term frameworks and on-site training to enable sustainable resource management, benefiting local livelihoods while preserving forests. We also acknowledge the role of indigenous knowledge, values and culture in environmental conservation
Developing Young Environmental Ambassadors
Instilling the culture of environmentalism requires the involvement of children and youth at a very young age.
The Adopt a tree Model create a platform to engage with the young generation in Environmental conservation. The development of school environmental clubs provides such an opportunity to mentor the young and inspire them to be environmentalists.
In line with the new Competence-Based Curriculum we are equipping the students with skills and knowledge on environmental responsibility. In collaboration with schools and government agencies, we are reviving environmental clubs in schools with the aim of developing a generation of young environmental ambassadors who can instill change in the communities they come from as well as in the entire school community. We also empower them to establish small tree nurseries in their schools.
