Capacity building workshop advances Kenya's ecosystem restoration strategy
Kenya's ecosystem restoration efforts received a boost with a four-day capacity-building workshop focusing on job creation and sustainable development
9 May 2024
KENYA (ILO News) - In a bid to accelerate Kenya's ambitious plans for ecosystem restoration, a four-day capacity-building workshop was convened from March 12 to 15, 2024. The workshop aimed to equip stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge to advance the implementation of the National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration Strategy.
Spearheaded by President William Samoei Ruto, Kenya has set an ambitious target of achieving a 30% tree cover by 2032, encapsulated in the 15 billion tree planting initiative. This environmental restoration drive will contribute to reducing the effects of climate change and will even create jobs and livelihoods through promotion of enterprises and market driven skills using Nature Based Solutions (NbS).
The workshop, a collaborative effort between the International Labour Organization (ILO) PROSPECTS project, the ILO's Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP), and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO), targeted key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the restoration strategy. Participants included representatives from governmental bodies such as the 15 Billion Trees Secretariat, State Department for Forestry (SDF), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), County Governments, Refugee-led Organizations, alongside national and international NGOs.
Lilyanne Ndinda, National Project Coordinator, ILO PROSPECTS, explained, “The primary objective of workshop was to build the capacity of these actors to integrate Decent Work, Green Works, and NbS principles into the national restoration strategy, fostering sustainable development and decent job creation.”
Key outcomes of the workshop included the introduction of a pro-employment and green jobs approach to ecosystem restoration initiatives. Initial estimates suggested the potential creation of between 400,000 to a million jobs annually through implementing the national strategy.
Additionally, awareness sessions on climate change and biodiversity loss stressed their impact on livelihoods and emphasized the importance the national ecosystem and landscape restoration strategy. Integration of NbS principles into restoration efforts, particularly focusing on leveraging local resources and promoting inclusivity, was another significant milestone achieved during the workshop.
Moving forward, stakeholders identified concrete steps to further enhance restoration efforts. These include strengthening capacity building in NbS, developing productivity norms and data base on NbS, developing standards and guidelines for monitoring decent work within restoration projects, positioning Kenya as a champion for decent work in NbS through strategic partnerships, promoting gender-inclusive approaches in restoration activities, and aligning policies to scale up employment opportunities within restoration initiatives.
The workshop participants expressed optimism about the implementation of these strategies and reaffirmed their commitment to achieving Kenya's ambitious restoration goals.
Veronica Nyambura Maingi, HR representative of 15B Tree Growing Secretariat and a participant shared, “Green Jobs can help us achieve goals of 15B initiative. The NbS training with ILO provokes a much more sustainable way in how to have an environment of enabling and creating jobs as it provides an all-rounder approach beyond planting. We received a better picture of value chains and enhancing livelihoods. “
The collaborative efforts showcased during the workshop mark a significant step towards realizing Kenya's vision for a greener and more sustainable future.
For further information, please contact Velo, Lilyanne, (velo@ilo.org ) or Asfaw Kidanu (Kidanu@ilo.org, Diego Portugal Del Pino - Associate programme officer on climate change and green works at ITCILO (d.portugal@itcilo.org ).