Capacity building workshops to support National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration Strategy in Kenya

In 2018, Kenya's forests covered 3.47 million hectares, accounting for 5.9% of the total land area, according to the National Forest Reference Level (FRL) of 2020. However, the National Forest Resource Assessment in 2021 revealed Kenya's National Tree Cover at 12.13% and forest cover at 8.83%. In response, President William Samoei Ruto set a new national ambition to achieve 30% tree cover by 2032. To expedite this goal, Kenya developed the National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration Strategy, aiming to restore 10,579,063 hectares over a 10-year period. Kenya recognizes the potential of its tree cover ambitions to stimulate job creation and achieve its 2032 goals. With 75 million people globally employed by Nature-based Solutions (NbS), Kenya aims to generate 20 million new jobs by 2030. In collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), the ILO PROSPECTS project in Kenya planned a 4-day capacity-building training for implementing bodies at national and county levels to support the restoration of natural habitats and the creation of functional ecosystems. OBJECTIVES The capacity building contributed to: • Provide an introduction to climate change, biodiversity loss and its impact on the world of work and livelihoods from a global to local perspective and mitigation measures thereof. • Highlight the need for climate change adaptation measures: definition, implementation modalities, monitoring, • Reflect on the national forestation initiative as well as PROSOPIS control. • Introduce EIIP and green works approach and Highlight its employment potential with a focus on • Understanding of nature-based solutions (NbS) as one of the strategies in the National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration as well as building climate change resilience and improved livelihoods. • Knowledge sharing on ancestral cultural practices implemented by indigenous communities that address climate change adaptation and reflect on local practices. • Lay the groundwork for integrating decent job creation into the National Landscape and Ecosystems Restoration Strategy. CONTENT The training programme included the following topics: • Overview of PROSPECTS Kenya • What is climate change highlighting the latest contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). • The world of work and climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss • Appreciation of national initiatives (Tree planting initiatives, alien plant control by utilisation, etc.) • Employment Intensive Investment Programme and Green Works: • Nature-based solutions, global and local perspective. • The importance of the inclusion of indigenous communities, youth and women as well as locally based MSMEs in restoration. • Environmental and social safeguards and trade-offs • Decent work in NbS The course included visits to ongoing restoration projects, local communities already managing landscapes, and other areas of interest.