Miti Mitaani

Long description

Nairobi River Basin Restoration: Miti Mitaani (‘trees in our neighborhoods’ in Kiswahili) is planting indigenous and non-indigenous (fruit) tree varieties to restore the river basin by engaging low-income youth as tree planters and stewards for survival. By incentivizing youth to plant and care for trees, Miti Mitaani aims to rapidly scale tree cover while also providing business opportunities for jobless youth. Trees are critical infrastructure for cities. The Nairobi River Basin tree planting program is an investment in urban climate change mitigation, livelihoods creation, and tree equity. Environmental Impact: The Nairobi River Basin is a vital water source for both the Nairobi county population and communities further downstream. Communities rely on the river for water and livelihoods, in addition to the climate benefits of the riparian forest buffers (cooling, reducing flood risks, ground-water recharge, wildlife habitat). There has been a drastic decline in wetlands that support the river ecosystem due to rapid urbanization and illegal property development on riparian lands. Livelihoods: Miti Mitaani combines urban forestry with livelihoods creation. By paying youth groups to provide essential ecosystem services, groups receive vital capital to invest in micro-enterprises. This means every dollar invested has a dual impact: trees in the ground and capital injected in high-need communities. Tree equity: By prioritizing low-income neighborhoods, Miti Mitaani invests in tree equity. Low-income neighborhoods have significantly less tree cover and are more vulnerable to climate risks.

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