A forest lobby group now wants the reintroduction of customary institutions and laws as a way of empowering the community in environmental conservation.
North Eastern Forest Conservancy chair Dr. Ahmed Mohammed said that the county government should through the county assembly come up with a relevant legislation that if anyone found to cut down a tree will be fined 3 goats.
Dr. Mohammed said that felling down of indigenous trees that leave up to 300 years by licensed charcoal burners is a concern that the laws will help control.
He said in addition to this, the community who are pre dormant pastoralists moving from one point to another be provided with seed balls to be spread in grazing fields so that they germinate during rainy season as a way of adopting climate change.
The regional conservancy coordinator said today exercise in Garissa Township and Ijara will see over 2,000 trees planted and urged the community to conserve them to reduce the effects of climate change.
Garissa deputy speaker Mohammed Abass said the “mathenge tree” has adversely affected their grazing lands and forests and urged Kenya forest research institute to conduct more research on the tree to establish extra benefits.
Abass said the tree that has is now an eyesore to the pastoralist should be eliminated.
The ‘mathenge’ tree species first introduced during the 70s at the Bura irrigation scheme to act as windbreakers but after the collapse of the project livestock have helped has to spread them through their waste.