Estonia pledges forests measurement tools for developing countries

Visiting Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said Saturday in Kenya that her country will create tools to help in measuring forests cover in anticipation to meeting climate change expectations in developing countries ,reported Xinhua.

Kaljulaid said during a tour of Kenya Forest Service headquarters in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that it was important that countries work together in helping with increased tree cover as part of an effort to manage climate change, urging Kenya to identify and plant tree species in areas where they can grow better as opposed to planting trees everywhere yet the soil does not favor them.

Kaljulaid also urged Kenyan authorities to embark on a serious tree planting exercise, adding that her country is today enjoying good weather and climate due to tree planting efforts that started in the mid-1920s.

Keriako Tobiko, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said that Kenya has embarked on applying technologies that enable aerial seeding and Kenya Forest Service officials are also tracking the seedlings to capture the survival rate of the trees.

The move was in line with the country's plans to plant 2 billion trees by the year 2022 as part of efforts that are aimed at increasing the tree cover that is currently 7 percent as opposed to the international threshold of 10 percent, said Tobiko, who commended an Estonian company for introducing digital technology in the management of forestry in the country.

Tobiko added that after the training of all stakeholders on embracing the technology, Kenya's forestry will be managed in a transparent and efficient manner.

Kenya recently signed a statement of intent on agreement with the Estonian government for forest conservation that is expected to be formalized in November 2021