Growing bamboo to restore degraded lands

For many years, large sections of Kayola and Kitawa in Homa Bay County remained degraded and unsuitable for farming. The broad, marshy plain of River Kayola remained unproductive without any economic activities.

However, a bamboo project is changing the landscape of Kayola and Kitawa, putting the degraded area into a sustainable development path.

The remote areas of Kayola, which was a swampy land, have now been transformed into bamboo forest plantations, offering a unique bird and human serene sanctuary.

According to Bamboo Resort Project Manager Tom Oloo, the objective of the project is to reclaim the marshy plain of River Kayola that has remained unproductive for many years.

“Planting bamboo trees will ensure degraded lands are reclaimed,” said Mr Oloo.

Mary Onyango, the project’s caretaker who is also an environmentalist, attributed the success of the project to the power of bamboo trees, which are vital for tackling climate change.

Ms Onyango noted that planting bamboo seedlings could reduce the impacts of rising water levels in the seas and lakes. Bamboos can provide natural shoreline and coastal defences against sea level rise, tides and storm surges.

She called on residents of the lakeside regions to embrace bamboo tree planting to counter the impacts of the rising water levels in Lake Victoria. She added that bamboo could reduce pollution in Lake Victoria.

Bamboo trees have a complex root system that acts as an efficient water filter, removing nutrients and dangerous poisons such as heavy metals before they seep into the food chain.

Bamboo trees grow faster than many hardwoods; thus making them ideal for absorbing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. This helps to combat desertification and global warming.

The Paris Agreement underscored the critical role played by landscapes and resilient forests in reducing the global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global mean sea level rose by 4.5 millimetres per year between 2013 and 2022; thus negatively impacting the coastal populations globally.

Bamboo trees also help to stabilise the soils, restoring and repairing riparian areas destroyed by floods by reducing sedimentation flowing into the rivers.

The bamboo-rooting system boosts groundwater retention, soil binding and filtering out of sedimentations; consequently reducing sediments that flow down the rivers downstream.

Bamboo covers the soil through its canopy, reducing evaporation and thus rehabilitating highly degraded areas faster.

Meanwhile, Ogiek Community Consortium is reclaiming a 39-acre piece of land, where they planted 16,000 seedlings of trees including bamboo in a bid to reclaim the Oleinguse wetlands.

The bamboo can also be used as food and nutrition security for animal feeds while at the same time significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It takes only three years for bamboo to fully establish mature groves; thus making it the most effective carbon dioxide absorber not only above-ground carbon but also below-ground carbon.

Global Climate Action Representative Julia Wanyoike says tree planting, especially during long rainy seasons, is the most viable option for climate change adaptation.

In countries where bamboo naturally forms wild forests such as Mexico, China, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia, it has been found to play a key role in carbon sinking and sequestration.

Latest report from the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) says bamboos are important as they help in carbon sinking.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that there were 36 million hectares of bamboo cover worldwide, which is equivalent to 3.2 per cent of the total global forest cover.

FAO, however, observed that bamboo trees could cover as much as 50 million hectares worldwide.

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet. With more than 1,400 species, it is highly versatile and rapidly renewable.

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