KENYA, CHINA EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR MONITORING LANDSCAPE RESTORATION

Forestry Principal Secretary Mr. Gitonga Mugambi  emphasized the need for a robust scientific system to measure, report and verify the impacts of landscape restoration investments.

Speaking during the Ecological Civilization Flagship Knowledge Exchange Programme in China, the PS underscored the importance of establishing a strong Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Framework capable of generating credible evidence on the ecological, hydrological and socio-economic benefits of restoration initiatives.

Mr. Mugambi noted that scientifically sound monitoring is essential for informing policy, guiding investment decisions and supporting long-term restoration planning.

The proposed collaboration between Kenya and China’s Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center (LCRC) will support the development of a National MRV Framework for Landscape Restoration and Ecosystem Services. The framework will build on Kenya’s existing Forest and Landscape Restoration Monitoring Framework while expanding assessments beyond conventional indicators such as tree cover and hectares restored.

The initiative will strengthen Kenya’s evidence base through systematic ground-truthing and the collection of baseline data on water flows, runoff and other ecological processes. It will also support the development of national biophysical coefficient databases, ecosystem service monitoring protocols and restoration effectiveness indicators, while integrating field observations with satellite-based monitoring.

A key component of the collaboration will be the establishment of two to three long-term restoration observatories within priority watersheds. These observatories will provide scientific platforms for assessing the impacts of restoration interventions over a period of more than ten years.

Monitoring will cover key indicators, including surface runoff, sediment yield, stream discharge, soil carbon, vegetation recovery, groundwater recharge, biodiversity and agricultural productivity.

The proposed MRV system will integrate satellite observations, drone-based monitoring, hydrological measurements, biodiversity monitoring plots, soil-sampling networks and community observations. This approach will strengthen understanding of how interventions such as agroforestry, riparian restoration, terracing and rangeland rehabilitation influence infiltration, runoff, sediment transport, groundwater recharge and dry-season river flows.

The five-year collaboration will be led by the Government of Kenya through the State Department for Forestry, with support from KEWASIP financing and Kenyan research institutions.

In the long term, the partnership seeks to establish a National Restoration Evidence Platform integrating ecological, biodiversity and climate-resilience data, strengthening Kenya’s capacity to generate credible evidence and demonstrate the impact of landscape restoration investments.

Also in attendance was the Secretary for Forest Development, Mr. George Tarus, alongside dignitaries from the host country.