KWALE, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Balozi Dena may have felt helpless in stopping land encroachment that has stalked poor villages in coastal Kenya for the last 68 years of his life. But he is keen on leaving a legacy: protection of indigenous plants.The elder from Ukunda village in Kwale, has been working with community conservation groups like Coastal Forest Conservation Unit (CFCU) to prevent the destruction of Kaya forests. He is not sure if he is winning. “It is difficult,” says the father of six. “Most parts of the forests have already been grabbed. Attempting to remove the occupants can sometimes lead to bloodshed.”During his youth, the Kaya forests - which were thick belts of lowland woodland - surrounded villages and were believed to be sacred by the Mijikenda community. Cutting trees for timber, grazing of livestock and clearing of farmland were strictly prohibited, he says.“The forests were places where individuals facing problems in their daily lives could go and seek help by praying there,” he says.They had another purpose, which is keeping him vigilant lately: medicinal plants. Studies show that Kenya’s coastal province is endowed with more than half of known rare tree species and shrubs in the country.But their sacred and medicinal value may remain etched in the memories of a gone generation, if the continued encroachment for property development is not stopped.“It is the tourism obsession,” argues Dena. “Permanent buildings now stand where forests once flourished.”That may appear so to Dena. But a status report on Kenyan forests by the 2016 Kenya Water Towers Agency report lists charcoal burning, logging and illegal harvesting of unique plant species as some of the leading threats facing the country’s ecosystem.For instance, by the time the report was being released, Kenya had less than 3.5 per cent of gazetted forest. In 1990, there were 4,670,866 hectares of forest cover while in 2000, the figure reduced to 3,492,358 hectares.“This destruction of forests can be blamed on the failure by the government to separate community land from public land,” argues Mohamed Swazuri, chairman of Kenya’s National Land Commission.The price for such anomaly is high: loss of indigenous knowledge stored by rare plants, according to Kamau Ngugi, the executive director, National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders.“The government should learn how to tap traditional knowledge held by communities living around forests in order to conserve our plant genetic wealth,” says Kamau. “That is a very critical knowledge that we are losing as a society.”Dena seems to agree. And if his bet is right this time, he just might be getting there. A botanical garden at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) is working with communities like Dena’s, to conserve plant genetic wealth threatened by forest encroachment.“It is a project between the government of the Peoples Republic of China and the government of the Republic of Kenya,” says Prof. Robert Gituru, the founding Director, Sino Africa Joint Research Center SAJOREC, which hosts the garden.Established in 2014 by Kenyan and Chinese scientists, the garden…

(Open only for journalists from Asia and Africa) February 22-23, 2018 Nimli, Rajasthan Climate change is real. Despite all the recent brow-beating to the contrary, most notably by the Trump administration-led US, it is here to stay – and the developing world (including India) is facing the brunt of its impacts. Acute water stress, heat waves and droughts, extreme rainfall events, storms and flooding... the list of disasters is growing every year. How is the Global South coping with it? Are climate adaptation interventions working? Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites journalists from Asia and Africa to its Annual Media Briefing on climate change and adaptation. The briefing will be conducted away from New Delhi, in CSE’s new state-of-the-art training facility, the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI) campus in Nimli, near Alwar, in Rajasthan. The total period in this briefing, including travel days etc, may extend from February 20 to 25th. This includes travel from respective destinations to Delhi, and from Delhi to Nimli (two and half hours) and back. Applicants are requested to bear this in mind. CSE would be supporting the travel and stay of selected participants. We have only 50 seats for this programme. Journalists writing on climate and adaptation issues would get preference. Please send a mail to the undersigned attaching the following: A latest copy of your CV Two samples of latest writings/coverage of climate issues – journalists writing in other languages will have to send English translations Last date for receiving applications: January 26, 2018 Souparno Banerjee The CSE Media Resource Centre This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 9910864339

NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has welcomed the British government’s plan to close - with some limited exemptions - its domestic ivory markets.Ivory (whether raw or worked) continues to be traded legally within UK and the other European Union (EU) Member States, in auction houses, markets, shops and online – and that antique items can even be traded without permits or certificates. Paul Gathitu, KWS spokesman said the existence of legal ivory markets and exports provide opportunities for laundering illegal ivory.“The existence of these markets and exports also fuel demand for ivory within the UK and abroad and thus contribute to poaching,” Gathitu said.He noted that KWS and Government welcome the plan by UK to close its ivory markets as this will obliterate any chances for opportunists, who may have in the past used the existing market in antique ivory as a cover for trade in illegal ivory. The UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson at the end of last year said that his aim is to make 2018 the year of British leadership in defeating the ivory trade. “Ivory poaching is an abhorrent crime and it is shocking that in the 21 century we are still witnessing the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants every year for their tusks. It is mankind’s privilege to share the planet with these wonderful creatures but their treatment is heartbreaking,” Johnson said.He added, “We are committed to tackling this problem and are playing a key role in building global consensus to stamp out the illegal wildlife trade. Our plans to ban the sale of all ivory products in the UK will remove opportunities for criminals to trade illegally-poached ivory, helping to protect this majestic and endangered species.”Speaking last week, UK’s Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the decline in the elephant population fuelled by poaching for ivory shames the current generation.“The need for radical and robust action to protect one of the world’s most iconic and treasured species is beyond dispute. Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol – so we want to ban its sale. These plans will put the UK front and centre of global efforts to end the insidious trade in ivory,” Gove said.Effective January 1, 2018, China banned the mainland domestic sale of elephant ivory and related products, a significant move toward slowing the annual slaughter of the largest land animals on Earth. The UK’s plan to follow suit could not have come at a better time. Consequently, Gathitu noted that KWS and Kenya recognizes this bold step as important in the war against elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade, pulling especially the African elephant further away from the precipice of extinction.“The significance of support from such an influential quarter can be measured in the multiple effects seen in the results on the ground. An example is the global effort focusing on elephant conservation between 2014 to date, targeting ivory source countries, transit and consumer countries, which has…

The African Forest Forum is recruiting for the position of a Senior Programme Officer (SPO) to be based at its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, reporting to the Executive Secretary through the Head of Programmes Management Unit (PMU). The SPO shall work on tasks related two projects implemented by AFF on “Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management in Africa” and “African Forests, People and Climate Change”. About the two projects The two projects have several components focussing on: Managing partnership platforms through which stakeholders identify challenges to sustainable management of forests and trees and co-create solutions; Enhancing sustainable management practices to improve resilience of trees and forests to adverse effects of climate change, and up-scale promising approaches that support livelihoods; Generating evidence based information to support efforts in forest law enforcement, promotion of good forest governance and fair trade in forest products and services; Strengthening the capacity of institutions and individuals to achieve forest compatible development; Strengthening Africa’s capacity in regional and international engagements and facilitate mainstreaming of decisions from the same. Improving knowledge and capacity of African stakeholders in managing forests and landscapes in the context of climate change. Informing and contributing to the shaping of policies and initiatives relevant to forests and climate change. Collation, synthesis and dissemination of critical information and knowledge to stakeholders through publications in peer reviewed journals, policy briefs, factsheets, working papers and other avenues. Duties and responsibilities: The SPO should work closely with the two project leaders on the following: Planning and implementation of project activities Developing annual plans of work and budgets as well as reports for discussion and approval by the Project Steering and Advisory Committee (PSAC) Securing the attainment of project objectives and other deliverables Ensuring quality assurance with respect to project outputs Identification and securing implementation of project changes and interventions to achieve project outputs Facilitating the undertaking of project evaluations and assessment of results. Assist the project leaders on any other duties, as well as any other responsibilities as may be directed by the Executive Secretary. Key competencies and skills: Good communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills Good leadership qualities especially with respect to planning, organisation, critical thinking and decision making Efficient team management skills Ability to resolve conflicting situations Computer or technical knowledge Effective problem-solving skills Adaptability and stress tolerance Qualification and experience: Ph.D. in forestry, environment, natural resources management or related area; A minimum of 5 years of post Ph. D. experience; Must have the capacity and demonstrated experience in the leadership of projects and programmes in forestry; Must have the capacity and demonstrated experience in application of forest science to the management of natural resources; Must be a good team player; Excellent written and oral communication skills in either English or French; working knowledge of the other will be an added advantage. Terms of offer: AFF and ICRAF are equal opportunity employers and offer a collegial and gender-sensitive working environment, and we strongly encourage applications from qualified women. This position is remunerated on regional terms. The appointment…