Kenya has unveiled a plan that will require each tourist to plant a tree when visiting the country, with the vision of helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The country is battling to cope with the aftermath of devastating floods – induced by the climate change weather pattern El Niño – that claimed 277 lives, left more than 200 000 people displaced, and forced the evacuation of tourists from the Maasai Mara.

Cabinet Secretary for Wildlife and Tourism Alfred Mutua launched the ‘One Tree per Tourist’ campaign on National Tree Planting Day on Friday, May 10, describing the initiative as a significant stride in Kenya’s battle against climate change and in protecting biodiversity.

“The initiative, in collaboration with stakeholders – notably hotels and tourism agencies – mandates that each tourist visiting Kenya plants a tree. Even those exploring urban areas like Nairobi can contribute by planting trees in designated sites known as ‘Tourism Forests’,” said Mutua.

Kenya’s national government has set a target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, under President William Ruto’s Presidential Programme for the Accelerated Restoration of Forests and Rangelands.

Speaking at a tree-planting event in Muranga County, Ruto said all Kenya’s government ministries had been directed to plant trees on a rotational basis from Monday, May 13, for the next six months.

“Our country has been affected by climate change, and one way to mitigate the negative impacts is to conserve our environment by planting trees. Today, more than 200 million trees will be planted across the country, and the exercise will continue until we hit our target,” he said.

Ruto said concerted efforts by the government, Kenyan citizens and the private sector could assist with increasing the country’s forest cover from 12% to 30% by 2032.