Dr Isaac Kalua Green, a renowned environmentalist and ecopreneur, has emphasized the need for Kenyans to take responsibility for nurturing trees to maturity in order to achieve the country's ambitious target of growing 15 billion trees by 2042. He argues that the focus should shift from celebrating the number of seedlings planted to tracking their survival and growth. This call to action comes as Kenya steps up efforts to increase tree and forest cover in response to climate change, land degradation, and other environmental challenges.
Dr Kalua, who has been involved in tree planting and conservation for five decades, marked his 57th birthday on September 14 by handing over the Plant Your Age Initiative to a new generation. This initiative encourages Kenyans to plant trees equivalent to their age every September 14, transforming birthday celebrations into opportunities to restore the environment while leaving behind a living legacy. Dr Kalua launched his new book, Come Back and Check, which challenges individuals, institutions, and government agencies to return to sites where trees have been planted and verify their survival.
Dr Kalua expressed concerns about discrepancies in tree-planting figures reported by different government agencies and officials, arguing that such variations point to the need for a more consistent system of monitoring and verification. He believes that the country should be able to establish not only how many trees have been planted but also where they are, who is responsible for them, and how many have survived. The Green Africa Foundation has launched the Plant Your Age mobile application to help users record and track trees they plant.
However, Dr Kalua cautioned against assuming that technology alone can solve the problem of tree survival, stating that the app is just a record-keeping instrument and that actual protection of the tree requires more than just technology. He cited a government-reported case in Samburu where 23,000 trees were planted, but 60 per cent had died within two months, demonstrating the importance of follow-up care, proper species selection, watering, protection, and local ownership.
Dr Kalua also wants Kenyans to view tree growing as an economic activity rather than simply an environmental obligation. He argues that trees can generate income, create employment, and improve livelihoods through products such as fruits, timber, and other tree-based resources. He believes that individuals should develop a sense of ownership when they plant trees and understand the long-term benefits that can come from protecting them.
Dr Kalua questioned the practice of repeatedly distributing free seedlings without establishing what happens to them after they leave nurseries or planting sites. He also raised concerns about corporate tree-planting campaigns, warning that some initiatives risk becoming publicity exercises if organisations fail to monitor the trees they plant. He argued that environmental investments should be subjected to the same level of auditing applied to financial resources.
The concerns raised by Dr Kalua touch on the broader issue of greenwashing, where organisations may publicise environmental activities without providing evidence of their long-term impact. For Dr Kalua, accountability should therefore extend beyond government to companies, institutions, schools, individuals, and other organisations involved in tree-growing programmes. His concerns also extend beyond trees to the wider environment, linking conservation to the protection of water towers, rivers, and biodiversity.
Key points
- Dr Kalua Green calls for Kenyans to nurture trees to maturity to achieve the target of growing 15 billion trees by 2042.
- Dr Kalua Green questions the practice of distributing free seedlings without establishing what happens to them after they leave nurseries or planting sites.
- Dr Kalua Green wants Kenyans to view tree growing as an economic activity rather than simply an environmental obligation.
