This project entails full rehabilitation of the five water towers of Mau Escarpment, Mt. Kenya, Aberdare Ranges, Cherangany Hills and Mt. Elgon. The current forest policy 1aims to promote sustainable management of the forests to serve as water catchments, biodiversity conservation reservoirs, wildlife habitats and carbon sinks. The indigenous forests will provide important economic, environmental, recreational, scientific, social, cultural and spiritual benefits. Management will embrace preservation of religious and cultural sites, traditional medicinal sources, water catchments, habitats for endemic and threatened flora and fauna. Moreover, this will seek to introduce high-value tree species at farm level in order to contribute to the targeted forest cover of 4 per cent by 2012. The initiative will introduce commercial tree species in ASALs in order to control desertification and improve livelihoods.
The ecosystem approach will be adopted in forest management. This will also involve Joint management with stakeholders, (KFS, KEFRI, local communities, civil societies, KWS, development partners and others) through forest conservation committees around each tower. This process will be supported by adaptive research for tree species and their suitability in ASALs.