GBM Blog

A presentation at the climate change talks in Durban by GBM focused on our efforts to rehabilitate the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya water towers in Kenya. Senior project officer, Mercy Karunditu, highlighted the great importance of mobilizing community consciousness and action towards community-led adaptation and mitigation activities.

Communities in the mountain catchments have risen to the challenge to restore and protect their forest ecosystems. She acknowledged the hard work, diligence and patience and process that the communities give towards the rehabilitation, conservation and management of their forests and community lands and farms.

GBM’s 10 step approach was developed from experiences on the ground and has proved to be successful in community mobilization for action. However the GBM’s community based climate change projects have faced huge challenges that have been captured in The Green Belt Movement Forest Initiatives report. Guidance, governance, consultation capacity building on roll-out and management is critical to successful establishment of the projects.

Prof Karanja – Executive Director, GBM highlighted among other issues the fact that the carbon offsetting needs to change there has to be a mechanism that establishes clearly that the buyers of carbon are reducing on their emissions before they can engage in the carbon market.