Kenya is considering putting in place a policy that will help to expand the number of botanical gardens in order to boost conservation of biodiversity, an official said on Friday.
William Wambugu, botanic garden manager at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) told Xinhua in Nairobi that Kenya is also keen to meet the obligations of the Convention of Biological Diversity which the country has ratified.
” The policy is one of the tools that will provide financial and technical support in order to expand the number of botanical gardens,” Wambugu said during the launch of the second edition of the Using our Traditions, A Herbal and Nutritional Guide for Kenya families.
The east African nation is keen to conserve its traditional ornamental plants in all the 47 counties so people can learn of the biodiversity within their communities.
Wambugu noted that studies have indicated the overwhelming need for botanical gardens because they give a real opportunity to learn the value of the threats posed to the plant community.
He added that botanical gardens are key national heritage sites because of their role in education, conservation research and recreational purposes.
” Another goal is to display the plants so that Kenyans can appreciate their value and even venture into their commercial cultivation,” he added.
Wambugu noted that the gardens will be mainly used for breeding of high-value indigenous plant species that have not undergone comprehensive studies.
The NMK official noted that the key challenge to the expansion is the cost of collection of scientific material required to establish the areas to conserve the country’s flora. Enditem
Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +1-508-812-0505
