November 24, 2010 – Miss World from Egypt, Southern Sudan and Kenya plant trees in Mau in support of the rehabilitation of the Nile River upper catchment
Ms. Samah Shalaby (Miss Egypt, 2009), Ms. Susan Ajaa Alak (Miss Southern Sudan, 2010) and Ms. Fiona Konchela (Miss World Kenya, 2009) planted trees today in Eburu Forest Reserve to express the support by the youth and the Nile Basin states to the rehabilitation of the Mau Forests Complex.
The event was organized jointly by the Interim Coordinating Secretariat and Save the Mau Fund. Members of the local communities joined the event in large number.
The Mau Forests Complex is a key component of the upper catchment of the Nile River. Five major rivers which have their upper catchment partially or fully in the Mau Forests Complex, flow into Lake Victoria and then feed Nile River. They are: Nzoia, Yala, Nyando, Sondu and Mara.
Eburu Forest Reserve is one of the 22 forest blocks of the Mau Forests Complex, covering approx. 8,715 hectares. A study commissioned by the Mau Task Force identified Eburu forest as a biological hotspot. Recently, Save the Mau Fund signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya Forest Service to help rehabilitate Eburu forest. By end 2011, Save the Mau Fund intends to plant over 1,000,000 trees in that forest with the full involvement of the local communities.
