The campaign to raise global awareness on the need to conserve Kenya’s water towers has received an enormous boost after the Mau Forest Complex (MFC) was admitted to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC).
The QCC project was launched in 2015 during the 24th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta. An appeal was made to all 53 Commonwealth nations to contribute areas of indigenous forest to be preserved in infinity to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
The pronouncement of support to the Mau Forest conservation efforts was conveyed to President Kenyatta in a letter from the Queen.
It comes at a time when the complex is facing tremendous human-induced pressures and destruction. This has contributed to related environmental disasters, loss of livelihoods, drought, water crisis, food shortage, reduced river flows, poor land productivity among others. The Maasai Mau Forest block (water tower) is the most threatened and degraded of the 22 forest blocks.
By offering the MFC to be supported under the QCC, Kenya hopes to accelerate the revival of the most extensive ecosystem and the most critical water tower in Kenya covering approximately 455,000 hectares of land. The MCF is home to 22 forest blocks with 12 feeding into major water lakes in Kenya and parts of Western Kenya.
Mau’s admission to the QCC will heighten efforts to protect, restore and rehabilitate some of its degraded areas while improving the general status of the water towers as well as creating and promoting alternative livelihood options to the surrounding communities.
The admission also presents an active link to the climate action agenda, falling between the Climate Action Summit 2019 and the Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 9 to 19 November 2020 under the presidency of the UK government.
The news was welcomed by Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.
“This is great news. The admission of MMF to the QCC is a clear confirmation by Her Majesty The Queen of Mau’s importance as a vital ecological and biodiversity asset , not just for Kenya and the Region , but for the whole World,” CS Tobiko said.
“The survival of the iconic Maasai Mara National Game Reserve as well as the entire Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem depends on the restoration & protection MMF,” he added.
The UK Government, through the National Forest Company, is committed to supporting the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy and plays a leading road role as an international exemplar for the QCC. In a new strategic framework agreed on Monday, the Kenya and UK governments made climate change of the pillars
