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The Story of the Wangari Maathai Peace Park

December 2, 2014 - 12:00PM
Published by Communications

In 2010, a group of six girls from Donnergymnasiet in Göteborg, Sweden, on their own produced the benefit concert “Treevening”. The musical gala by Green Cross Sweden Youth was held March 24, 2010 at the Sticky Fingers Rock Club and featured artists: José Gonzales, Jaqee, Räfven, Hellsongs, Bye Bye Bicycle, Eye Travel and the Naima Train. The was made possible by: SWECO, ICA, Musik i Väst, Musik Utan Gränser, Pureology, and Body Shop; as well as the Green Cross project “Peace and Trees” supported by the Folke Bernadotte Academy. The gala was inspired by Wangari Maathai and aimed to raise awareness on the connections of peace and environment.

Saving Kenya’s anti-cancer tree

November 19, 2014 - 09:35AM
Published by Communications

Deutsche Welle TV in Germany which is equivalent of BBC TV featured our GBM story covering our BMU project at Kipipiri last week. Read More: http://www.dw.de/saving-kenyas-anti-cancer-tree/a-18056291

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTIVE MEASURE THROUGH PERMACULTURE IN SAMBURU COUNTY

November 4, 2014 - 06:45PM
Published by Emanuela Piccolo

Samburu County is predominantly semi-arid with a scarce erratic rainfall (mean annual rainfall of between 500-700mm per annum). Increased human dependence on forest resources along with variability in intensity and seasonality of rainfall, have resulted in prolonged drought and severe weather events in recent years. Kirisia forest, one of four forest reserves in Samburu, has been badly encroached and poorly managed, and is subject to fierce and destructive fires. Illegal extraction of cedar, collection of firewood, charcoal burning, cutting down trees for fodder and overharvesting of herbs and non-wood forest products are main threats to Kirisia forest and its ecosystem functioning.

Due to vulnerability caused by changing weather patterns and the serious degradation of the existing forests, communities living in this area will need to deal over the coming period with greater climate change. It is necessary to start now to educate and help bring human activities into better harmony with the ecosystem that sustains them. 

Building Champions on Water Harvesting and Food Security in Nyeri County

November 4, 2014 - 10:10AM
Published by Communications

The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Commonly, the concept of food security is defined as including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs as well as their food preferences. 

Effective Natural Resource Management in Chania Watershed of Aberdare Ecosystem

October 24, 2014 - 12:15PM
Published by Communications

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) in partnership with Auerbach Family Foundation is implementing a project within chania watershed aimed at enhancing effective Natural Resource Management in the watershed. 

CLIMATE SUMMIT 2014: New York Forest Declaration

October 8, 2014 - 01:05PM
Published by Communications

The Green Belt Movement acknowledges the fact that there is a serious focus on forests. Deforestation is a frequently overlooked source of carbon dioxide emissions and a significant contributor to climate change, as trees, which store carbon, instead release it when they are burned during slash-and-burn land clearing of forests. The GBMs commitment on this path is focused on the restoration of Kenya’s degraded landscapes, knowing full well that our survival depends on the integrity of these forest ecosystems.

AU Commission marks the third anniversary of Prof. Wangari Maathai

October 1, 2014 - 11:35AM
Published by Communications

Addis Ababa, 26 September 2014 – Yesterday, the African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Environment and the Environment Protection Agency of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia marked the 3rd Anniversary of the death of Prof. Wangari Maathai, Africa’s first woman Nobel laureate. The event was commemorated with a tree planting ceremony at the premises of the Commission.

This post originally appeared in http://www.au.int on September 26, 2014.

The Hummingbird and the Climate Summit

September 24, 2014 - 04:55PM
Published by Lauren Berger

Green Belt Movement U.S. Board Chair Mia MacDonald and Wanjira Mathai, Kenyan Board Chair and director of the wPOWER project at the Wangari Maathai Institute, co-author a piece in The Huffington Post about Wangari Maathai's "hummingbird" tale and a call for climate action around the U.N. Climate Summit.

Community Based Adaptation approaches: the Green Belt Movement engages farmers in Kenya

September 5, 2014 - 12:35PM
Published by Communications

Climate change poses one of the greatest challenges facing the world in the 21st century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) notes that climate change, if not tackled, will have severe negative impacts on global water supply, agricultural yields, forest ecosystems and the spread of vector-borne diseases, and could result in the displacement of thousands of people from coastal cities and small islands.  This has led the Kenyan government to put in place a Climate Change Action Plan 2013- 2017 to make sure the country is ready and able to adapt to and reduce these potentially devastating effects against the country and its communities. 

Tackling Climate Change during the UNEA Meeting

August 28, 2014 - 11:50AM
Published by Communications

Bringing Optimism to Build Trust and Political Momentum

Kenya played host to the first ever meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), heralding a new era of “global efforts to address environmental sustainability”.  It kicked off in Nairobi from the 23rd-27th of June, 2014 - a lofty affair, attracting environmental ministers from over 180 countries, plus officials from governments and public bodies, economists and others to talk about saving the planet.

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