The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1977 by Professor Wangari Maathai. The main objective of the organization is to promote environmental conservation. The organization incorporates women empowerment and environmental conservation through organizing local women to take part in tree planting projects. These women are also taught on how to combat deforestation and reduce soil erosion (Maathai & Green Belt Movement, 2003).
Since its establishment, the organization has planted over 51 million trees and trained over 30,000 women on how to conserve the environment. GBM also focuses on community development and this has been achieved through raising awareness among the indigenous people on the importance of environmental conservation and measures that can be put in place to ensure the same (Maathai & Green Belt Movement, 2003).
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Sustainable Use of Forests
First and foremost, there needs to be an identification and protection of forest areas that are rich in biodiversity. For this to be achieved there needs to be awareness amongst the people on the importance of forest conversation. These people need also to be taught on ways and practices that can be adopted which will be conservatory to the forests in nature and at the same time engage in activities that are beneficial to them ( O'Brien, 2016). For instance, the GBM carries out a training program which has seen over 30,000 women being trained in forestry and other income fetching trades while preserving the land resources.
Secondly, reducing human activities in forest areas is required. This includes things such as sharply reducing road building into uncut forest areas. Research has shown that such activities paves way for fragmentation, destruction and degradation of forests ( O'Brien, 2016). The GBM has been involved in a number of activism projects in a bid to stop the government and other powerful individuals from promoting human activities in forest areas. For example, in 1998, the organization led a crusade to stop illegal allocation of Karura forest which is a 2000 Acre water catchment area in Kenya.
Thirdly, reforestation and planting of trees in degraded land areas is also a sustainable use of forests ( O'Brien, 2016). Professor Wangari Maathai was involved in a number of reforestation activities around the globe. She stated her main objective as being increasing the world’s forest cover. The United Nations Environmental Program is on the road to increase the world’s forest cover by about 120 hectares before the end of 2030. It has previously in a number of occasions stated that this can only be achieved through planting of trees in degraded land and reforestation.
Lastly, there should be ceasing of logging old growth forests. These are primeval forests with unique ecological characteristics owing from their old age. Their ecological uniqueness is of importance since the forests are made up of a diversity of unique quality trees and are therefore able to accommodate different living organisms. Logging such forests therefore leads to lose of great ecological value ( O'Brien, 2016).
Reducing Tropical Deforestation by Governments and Individuals
The government needs to enact strong legal frameworks and policies that reduce or prohibit tropical deforestation. There should also be in place laid down procedures of how these laws and policies will be implemented There is yet to be an enacted international binding instrument on forests, and this according to the late Professor was one of reasons that led to a great diminishing of the earth’s forest cover in a span of only 20 years.
Education programs should also be initiated to teach people on how to combat deforestation. A good example is the program by GBM to teach women and the community at large on environmental conservation. Awareness programs can also be incorporated at the basic education level through including it in the syllabus. Children will from a tender age be able to know the importance of forests (Seymour, 2015).
Engaging the society in activities that promote planting of trees can also be important in reducing deforestation. Such activities would include national days for planting trees or organizing challenge activities such as cycling and marathons with the money collected from such activities being used to plant more trees (Seymour, 2015).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Green Belt Movement under the leadership of the able late Professor Wangari Maathai has played a great role over a period of time in the conservation of forests and environmental at large. Forests are a vital part of our ecosystem and as such should be protected at all costs as a means of protecting our ecosystem.
References
Maathai, W., & Green Belt Movement (Society: Kenya). (2003). The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the approach and the experience . New York: Lantern Books.
O'Brien, M. (2016). Timber consumption and sustainable forest use: Assessing the EU's current and expected consumption of global timber in relation to the global capacity for sustainable supply . Kassel: Kassel University Press.
Seymour, F. (2015). Why forests? why now? The science, economics, and politics of tropical forests and climate change . Place of publication not identified: Brookings Institution Pr.
