As the world steps up efforts to combat climate change and restore degraded landscapes, one critical element is often overlooked — biodiversity. Many nature-based solutions focus on the number of trees planted or the volume of carbon captured.
These metrics are important, yet they do not tell the whole story. Real restoration means bringing life back to the land in all its forms. Biodiversity is the foundation of ecosystem health. It includes pollinators, soil microbes, birds, mammals, insects, and fungi.
These organisms work together to regulate water cycles, improve soil fertility, pollinate crops, and protect against pests and disease.
When we ignore this intricate web of life and restore ecosystems using only a few fast-growing tree species, we risk weakening resilience. Monocultures may look green, but they are fragile and often fail to withstand the pressures of climate change.
In Kenya, biodiversity is protected through a network of national parks and community conservancies. These spaces are vital. They safeguard species, maintain ecological balance, and support tourism and local livelihoods.
The Kenya Wildlife Service, alongside county governments and conservancy associations, plays a central role in protecting this wealth of life. These institutions must be supported as part of national climate and biodiversity strategies.
Across Africa, restoration projects often target degraded forests and rangelands.
While these efforts are commendable, they sometimes overlook native species and traditional knowledge. Restoring wetlands by draining them or converting grasslands into forests disrupts natural systems. Communities that depend on these landscapes lose more than habitat. They lose water sources, medicinal plants, and cultural heritage.
Climate action must be informed by ecological realities. It is not just about planting trees or achieving emission targets. It is about restoring the balance that allows all species, including humans, to thrive. Policies, funding, and public awareness must reflect this. Conservation efforts should focus not just on carbon but on ecosystems as a whole.
Kenya’s efforts under the Paris Agreement and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must reflect the importance of biodiversity. Climate finance should prioritise projects that integrate ecological restoration with social and economic benefits.
Instead of relying solely on financial mechanisms like carbon credits, it is time to consider stack or integrated mechanisms such as carbon and biodiversity credits. These credits recognise the multiple benefits of ecosystem restoration, offering incentives for conserving wildlife, regenerating habitats and supporting local communities.
Nature does not work in silos, and neither should we. Every bee, bird, and microbe plays a role in sustaining the environment we depend on.
The future of climate resilience lies not just in planting trees but in reviving the life that holds ecosystems together.
Let us restore with intention. Let us restore with life.
The writer is a climate action enthusiast and a communications specialist at Windward Communications Consultancy.
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