 My name is Omi Lino St. Dicox, I'm from Atlanta and I'm also the national coordinator of an initiative called Girls Paint Africa Green Kenya. I'm also a member in a platform called Kenya Platform on Climate Governance and a subgroup which is Climate Finance. Under this we seek to improve the capacity of civil society organizations to be able to access climate finance and be able to effectively adapt and mitigate climate change. Climate change in simple terms is just the alteration of the average weather conditions of a long period of time. In relation to deforestation we will say climate change has been caused by a rise in the number of carbon emissions into the atmosphere which is indirectly linked to the cutting of trees which is deforestation. I can say there are a number of processes that contribute to these emissions but deforestation stands high up the ladder. Deforestation is caused by a number of activities but the one that stands out currently is increasing populations without proper planning. So this has led to other unsustainable practices such as deforestation to be able to create settlement units. There is also deforestation to clear land for cultivation and there is also deforestation as a result of populations encroaching into forest reserves. The one that stops the list I think and has been a real issue recently is water scarcity. Because as a country we are water stressed and this has been indirectly linked to the destruction of the water towers. The Mount Forest for instance is one of our critical water towers and it has been encroached and deforestation has really done a lot of damage. As we know forest cover improves water retention, improves purification of air and is mostly also a source of rivers. So in that sense you find with the destruction of our water towers there is water stress that is but it is also increased. And in that sense also you find indirect effects of that where there are club conflicts as people try to look for regions where they are able to find water and also food. We should really put a lot of emphasis on this unsustainable practice that is deforestation. Because even statistics show that we are able to reduce carbon emissions to the tune of 37% if we manage to improve our global tree cover. So if you look at it in that perspective and a contribution that is brought by lack of adequate tree cover to climate change then I think it is only right that we collaboratively work towards improving not only the global tree cover but also at national level such as our country can. It is possible but even as it is possible there are a number of roles that I think each and every one of us has to play. I think for instance where you find citizens always talk about the government being the one that should be able to spearhead such but I think it should be an initiative from each and every individual. If you have that opportunity if you are able to develop such an initiative then you are on the right path. There are examples that I think have been realized such as one in the Mount Kenya region. I think there are some women groups who have been assisted to acquire seedlings for this trees and they are also able to plant and grow them over time and they are also able to sell these seedlings and acquire income for their needs. So I think working from the government level working with these groups at the local level is important and for instance I will talk about the women groups and youth groups. For instance the women groups I think women and girls are the ones who are directly in tune with the environment because they are the ones that get food, they are the ones that get water from the rivers and so on. So they are more in tune to be able to understand the issues that would come up as a result of deforestation. So getting these groups at the local level and getting them to understand the importance of deforestation and the importance of planting and growing trees is good. It should reach a point where we separate politics and science because science has shown us that there is that direct clean. Because when you have trees you are able to tap in the carbon which is directly causing global warming and to avoid the extent climate change. So when somebody comes and says there is no way the cutting of trees is linked to global warming then I think that's a far less. So forest ecosystems have a big role to play in terms of mitigating climate change which is reducing the carbon and greenhouse gases, more specifically the carbon emissions. You find that for instance it has been projected that if we meet our targets for tree cover globally then we are able to contribute greatly to mitigating climate change to the tune of 37%. For instance the mangrove ecosystem, the statistics show that they reduce carbon emissions four times more than rainforest. So for instance like recently I noticed that there was a reverse on the ban that was initially placed on logging of mangrove trees. If you look at it in that sense I don't think the reversal of the ban was well informed because in as much as they lack livelihood opportunities I think the government would have come in in terms of providing alternative sources of livelihoods training the ban on logging of these mangrove trees. As at now Kenya we are projected to increase our efforts on reducing our carbon emissions to the tune of 30% by the year 2030. We will see efforts have been made because at 1963 I think we were at 10% that dwindled through to 6.6 I think in 2006. Right now we are at 7% but efforts that have been made by the CS Kiriako Tobiko I think are commendable. More importantly the ban on logging which has reduced the unsustainable initiatives where people go into forests and cut trees without replenishing them. And also recently we had the import duty on timber having been reduced from 10% to zero. So I think that is also that is also an effort I think that is commendable because then you reduce the costs of importing timber and also you reduce the process of deforestation within the country. I feel it is important that communities for instance you find communities such as the Ogei Kua found in the mau forest. I think they have been part of the forest for the longest time. We have been able to find ways where they positively interact with the environment. So it is important that the government does not shun these communities because they are indigenous and they are part of the forest ecosystem. So the government should ensure that they train these communities on how they should sustainably get resources from the forest and to live in harmony. Land as a resource in my opinion I would say it is not limited. I think the money in which we utilize land is actually the problem. Because you find in water towers such as the mau there are communities that have encroached the forest. I mean they have done it for maybe cultivating the land for food and so on but you find these happen at the expense of tree cover that they cut to be able to develop these land parcels. So I think in my opinion maybe we should be able to merge that we should be able to merge the two such that in as much as you cultivate land for food you should also be able to put I mean to secure a part of that land for the planting and growing of trees. For the communities such as the Ugek I think initially there was the Shamba system where you are located a parcel of land. You are able to plant and grow trees but you are also able to cultivate the same land for food. So I think such a system will be able to work supported with the right policies and legislations. Of importance is we should also be able to identify the native species within that particular region such that you don't bring a tree species that is not in tune with the climatic conditions of that particular region because like you found that people just bring trees for planting and growing in areas where they were initially not there. For instance like in the colonial era you find the British colonialists were exploiting certain types of trees without any issue. And in the event that they would get other tree species to replace the ones that they had cut they would bring tree species that are not native to this particular region. So you find in the long term they are not able to grow to maturity and their value is not actually the same. So I think initiatives that improve on planting native tree species to this region is also a critical point to consider. It should be a mix between individuals, the initiatives, institutions and the government. Inasmuch as the leadership is expected from the government through policy legislations and direction from the ministry as a people at the community level and maybe people who are running civil society organizations and maybe non-governmental organizations we should be able to take the initiative to ensure that in their own spaces they prioritize tree planting and growing. And also for the private sector private enterprise should also not only incorporate them in their CSR programs but also they should be able to ensure that in the development of their products and services we should be cognizant of climate change and the contribution that is brought by unsustainable practices to the environment. Government should make this issue more relatable to the common monage. We should be able to assist in developing the capacity of these actors to understand through knowledge transfer and technological advancements. They should be able to also understand and capacity with them on how they are able to access finances to maybe develop this tree, access these tree seedlings. And also for instance a target group such as the youth should be put at the forefront of this and they should be supported in ways that the government thinks appropriate. And I think with the collaboration of all these actors I think we can be able to make the 10% tree cover even higher than this reality. Under the leadership of the government I think we should ensure that we work together all partners in the public sector, the private sector and also non-governmental, non-state actors I think we should be able to work together towards developing a culture where we see the importance of planting and growing trees with the wider picture of the target that we have set as a country which is 10%. And also of importance I think is the government through the local actors, maybe the county government should take the initiative of training and facilitating knowledge transfer at the local level such that even the rural area can be able to relate and understand why we need an improved forest cover and how that is relatable to maybe that particular river that was passing down there and as a dried up. The most important is we should ensure that we facilitate effective stakeholder engagement. From the government down to the Wanjikwa, the local level I think it is important that we work together towards our target which is 10% by 2022, which I feel is doable if we all work smart towards.