To celebrate the return of the legedary Safari Rally to Kenya, FIA has patrnered with the government to plant 19 million trees over the next 3 years.
Ministry of sports CS Amina Mohamed and her Environment counterpart Keriako Tobiko launched the initiative at the Kakamega Forest. The initiative will be carried out in various forests including Naivasha, Kakamega, and Garissa. The drive that aims to among ither things increase the coutries forest cover, contribute to the proactive measures to curb the greenhouse effect global crisis that has seen adverse climate change impacts not only in Kenya but also around the world.
Deforestation and environmental pollution has seen tempetarures rise globally. This week, the USA’s Death Valley in California reached the second highest recorded temperature on earth in history of 54 degrees centigrade second only the highest that was 57 degrees Celcius.
WRC Safari Rally Kenya has not only won the hearts of Kenyans by bringing life to the sport and the championship back on the continent after 19 years but has also set reputable environmental protection standards such as having a litter-free race track, responsible waste management and corporate social responsibility of planting trees to give back to nature.
So far, the project has successfully planted 653,000 trees. The CEO of the WRC Safari Phineas Kimathi alluded that the exercise has so far seen over 653,000 trees planted this year and the targets to breach the 1 million by end of July 2021.
“We are targeting parts of our wetlands and water catchment areas affected by deforestation, traditional Safari Rally Routes, and the Moi International Sports Centre’s spectator stage, Kasarani,”
CS Amina said.
“As we mark the World Environment Day 2021, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage is committed to the theme of ecosystem restoration by planting 19 Million trees across the country through the WRC Safari Rally Greening Legacy Program.”
“As we enter into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Kenya believes that Sports and Culture for Environmental Sustainability is the new frontier to a safer, cleaner, greener and more natural world.”
“The greening project is an FIA Community model of giving back to nature and our target is to follow this model. We are also planning to have a Safari Forest at the headquarters in Kasarani,”
CS Amina said.
