To build a stable and healthy future, we must restore our forests

Group HR Director KCB Bank Group Japheth Achola (left) and CS Sports Ababu Namwamba plant a tree at Royal Nairobi Golf club during the inaugural of KCB East Africa Golf Tour that will traverse 6 countries and 12 counties in Kenya. April 11, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Every year, the world celebrates International Day of Forests (IFD) on March 21, highlighting the importance of these critical ecosystems which are fast declining.

According to the 2020 FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment, the world's total forest area is about four billion hectares, translating to about 31 per cent of the world's total area. These forests are home to about 80 per cent of the global biodiversity and play a key role in the wellbeing of humanity including food, water purification, in addition to climate change mitigation among others.

In addition, forests support livelihoods of more than one billion people around the world. This year's IFD theme is Forests and health, highlighting the critical role that forests play in our wellbeing.

Forests are home to nearly two thirds of all bird species, including 996 species globally threatened species. According to BirdLife International's State of the World's Birds 2022 Report, forests in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs, most of which have been identified for birds) across the world are being lost, fragmented and degraded by timber harvesting, development and expanding agriculture.

More than 420 million hectares of forests lost through conversion to other land uses. Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated to be 10 million hectares per year according to the FAO report. While Africa has the least share of planted at 2 per cent, the continent is witnessing the highest deforestation rate globally. Between 2015 and 2020, Africa's deforestation rate stood at 4.41 million hectares annually. Major drivers of deforestation on the continent include agriculture developments, infrastructure developments, and mining among others.

Thus, concerted efforts are required to protect this dwindling forest cover for our social and economic wellbeing for all. Restoration of these critical systems must involve local communities who are the guardians and custodians of these critical ecosystems.

BirdLife International, the world's largest and oldest Partnership is leading the charge across the continent, with various restoration initiatives on national, regional, and continental scale.

One such example is Trillion Trees, a partnership between BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) is aiming at restoring one trillion trees around the globe including in Kenya and Uganda.

BirdLife and its national partners in Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Nigeria are involved in the AFR100 Initiative as part of the United Nations Decade on Restoration which seeks to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across the continent.

This initiative aims at reversing deforestation and land degradation while boosting food security and helping rural communities thrive. We need more efforts in helping the continent achieve its restoration goals. Establishing linkages and partnerships can help achieve these restoration targets,

The writer is communications manager for Africa at BirdLife International