ENVIRONMENT

THE EFFECTS OF MILITARY ACTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT

The primary role of the Kenya Armed Forces is to guard our nation against external aggression. The role has been played effectively since 1963 when the country attained independence. Security threats however include more than external attacks from other states. The destruction of the environment is another form of aggression since it affects the resources of a nation and leads to actions that impact on the security of the citizens. Indeed, the link between the environment and security was demonstrated by the world community in 2004 when Prof. Wangari Maathai was awarded the Noble Peace Prize for her efforts I Environmental Conservation.

The tree has a very strong and positive impact on the environment. The reduction of the tree cover in this country has already resulted to a lower level of agricultural production; perennial rivers have turned to be seasonal, hydro power generation has gone down, the dams are heavily silted and our rich soil has been finding its way to the Indian Ocean.

Our country is most vulnerable to environmental change because of our high dependency in rain-fed agriculture. If no action is taken, reduced rainfall associated with environmental change could leave millions of our people facing water shortages by the first quarter of this century with knock-on effects on agricultural yields and access to shared resources.

Environmental change is a pressing poverty issue that will not only hinder achievement of the millennium development goals, but could even undo the modest gains in economic growth the country has recorded in the past few years.

As environmental change affects our very survival, we cannot therefore afford to simply fold our arms, do nothing and be crippled by the aggressor mentally and physically.

A few years back, the Kenya Armed Forces took note of the changes that were taking place in the environmental in which the soldiers live and train in. It was also noted that with the rich soil washed away we would finally have no country to protect. We therefore had to come up with a comprehensive defence policy for Kenyans. Action was needed urgently. This led to the formation of the “Armed Forces Environmental Solider Programme”. The Environmental Solider Programme is therefore aimed at protecting ourselves as citizens of this country from the negative impacts if the environmental change. Thos concept is informed by the link between security and the environment. This is a win-win situation where the fight against environmental degradation and defence against external aggression are targeted and addresses simultaneously.

In order to impact on the environment in a positive manner, the environmental solider concept, where the solider forms a partnership with the tree was modelled. This was a deliberate effort to sensitize and create awareness amongst all our soldiers on the need for total national defence. As soldiers and by extension their families fully internalized this concept, they would also become eco-warriors, defending the nation against Environmental degradation and promoting conservation and other environmental protection measures in their villages and home communities.

When the programme was first started in 2003 in the Armed Forces, seminars were conducted by environmental experts from Green Belt Movement to sensitize the military community on environmental/tree planting issues including the preparation of seedlings, transplanting and caring for trees that have been planted. The initial focus of the programme was to increase tree cover within military cantonments and training areas. Within the first two years of its inception, more than one million seedlings have been planted. To date more than 3 million seedlings have been planted in military cantonments and training areas.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Green Belt Movement, the programme has now taken a bold step and starting from last month, we have been planting trees in selected forests across the country. These are in South Imenti, Nyandarua, Kamae, Kikuyu, Dundori, Turbo, Kieni and Kwale Forest . A three week tree planting exercise was carried out between 23 October and 9th November 2007 and we had targeted one million seedlings.

During the official launch at Kamae Forest on 29th October 2007, the local community joined our soldiers in the tree planting exercise where very many trees were planted.

The mentioned forests where the tree planting exercise took place are considered major ecological zones whose watershed ecosystems need to be protected in order to forestall climate change. This tree planting exercise in endangered forests will be an annual event starting from this year and we are targeting to plant more than 2M seedlings by June 2008.

We are also moving the environmental solider to a higher level where we shall buy tree seedlings and distribute them to our soldiers who will in turn prepare and plant them back in their homes. It is hoped that the exercise will be contagious and spread like bush fire since we are drawn from all corners of this country.

In recognition of the outstanding efforts and achievements made by the soldiers in promoting tree planting in Kenya . Total Kenya Limited presented the Kenya Armed Forces with the Total Eco Challenge Gold Award in 2006 and in October 2007.

The Environmental Solider Programme initially started very modestly but it has grown in strength and is now widely acclaimed both nationally and internationally. The environmental challenges faced by Kenya , just like many other Sub Saharan countries need to be faces squarely in order to secure our future. The Kenya Armed Forces fraternity is determined to play its role of our tradition of proactive action to mobilize other sections of our society to secure our environment.

Lastly and not the least, with the environmental solider programme moving in top gear and being aimed at inspiring other members if our society to take similar actions, it is evident that soon our actions on the environment will beat fruit.