As you read this, water supply to Nairobi is running dry and city residents have to make do with water rationing. Low water volumes in hydropower plants might also result in power rationing - over 75% of all the electricity produced in Kenya is hydro-based - if the April long rains are inadequate. The country may also need emergency power generators that will cost millions of shillings to cover the electricity supply shortfall, the Energy Ministry has said.

By now most people know that our forests are a critical part of our lives. Although Kenya's forests occupy a small percentage of the country's total land cover, our environmental and economic well-being is tied to them. This reality will necessitate abandoning old habits that perceived forests as unlimited resources for the taking.

Our nation's indigenous forests make up the main water catchment areas serving almost every person in both high density farming regions and the semi-arid lands. So if the forests are not healthy, rivers dry up and there is no water. As forests play a big role in the rain-water cycle, without them land dries up, crops fail, anmals die and people suffer.

How do we prevent this from occurring?

Kenya still has a protected indigenous forest cover of just over 1 million hectares (under 3 per cent of total land are). Most of this cover is found inthe highlands and mountains East and West of the Great Rift Valley, but some indigenous are to be found in lower and drier areas and at the coast. These forests serve as water sources. Five of the major water catchment areas in Kenya are forests: Mount Kenya, the Mau Complex, Aberdare Range, Cherangani Hills and Mt. Elgon. Though smaller, the taita, Chyulu and Shimba Hills are vital water sources for the coast. Indigenous cover must therefore be protected for its water catchment and bidiversity value.

One way of protecting indigenous forests is planting new forests and trees on farms and private land. Planting of trees in farm lands removes pressure from indigenous forests.

'Planted' Forests

Kenya already has a plantation forest cover of roughly 120,000 hectares. These forests were planted to meet a growing demand for industrial wood and to reduce pressure on indigenous forests. They are found on state land and are managed by the Forest Department. They contribute a significant proportion to the country's forest resources.

In addition, individual Kenyans have planted a considerable amount of trees on private land to provide a range of products and services, including construction timber, wood fuel and non-timber forest products.

Kenyans are being encouraged to plant trees for use on their farms. In the meantime, the government has passed a new law for the sustainable management of Kenya's existing forests and for the creation of new forest.