KENYA STRENGTHENS FOREST MONITORING EFFORTS THROUGH AIM4FORESTS PRORAMME

May 19, 2025

Kenya is advancing efforts to strengthen its forest monitoring systems and attract results-based climate financing through the AIM4Forests initiative—a five-year, UK-funded programme focused on enhancing forest governance, leveraging advanced technologies, and fostering strategic collaboration.

This commitment was reaffirmed during high-level discussions held today between Forestry Principal Secretary Mr Gitonga Mugambi and representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), led by Mr Jonathan Wesley, at the Ministry headquarters.

The AIM4Forests programme, which evolved from an initial pilot known as IMPRESS, now forms part of a broader global initiative supporting the development of Kenya’s National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). The programme has been instrumental in identifying data gaps, supporting capacity development, and aligning Kenya’s forest reference emission levels with international frameworks such as the UNFCCC and the LEAF Coalition.

Through robust monitoring and verification systems, the initiative seeks to position Kenya as a credible actor in the global climate finance arena, opening opportunities for results-based payments tied to measurable reductions in emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

The discussions also explored complementary components of the initiative—AIM4Nature and AIM4Commodities. AIM4Nature focuses on co-developing a national ecosystem restoration monitoring framework to support Kenya’s target of restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded land by 2032. AIM4Commodities, financed by GIZ, is designed to assist smallholder farmers, particularly in the coffee sector, to comply with emerging global zero-deforestation regulations through the use of geospatial mapping tools and digital farm traceability systems.

Discussions also underscored the need to align programme activities with national priorities, particularly the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), to ensure that interventions generate meaningful outcomes, such as job creation, institutional strengthening, and long-term capacity building.

FAO representatives expressed appreciation for the strong collaboration with the State Department for Forestry and pledged to continue adapting programme strategies to Kenya’s evolving needs. They highlighted the importance of the country-led planning approach in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NFMS and aligning development efforts with national systems and priorities.

The Principal Secretary was accompanied at the meeting by senior officials from the State Department, led by Forestry Development Secretary Mr George Tarus.

#forestmonitoring #ClimateAction #sustainableforestry

#naturerestoration #GreenKenya