The Kisumu government will allocate two per cent of county's budget to mitigation of climate change effects in line with Kenya’s commitment to the COP26 Paris Agreement.
Governor Anyang Nyong’o said the funds will be used for climate investments and projects after the Kisumu county assembly debated and approved the Climate Change Act, 2020.
"The Act provides for two per cent of the county development budget to be used for climate investments and projects in all our 35 wards particularly in supporting tree planting," he said.
The ward climate change planning committees have formally been established to coordinate and identify climate investments for local action.
Nyong'o lauded the county assembly leadership for expediting the approval of the Act.
The Act operationalises the County Climate Change Fund Mechanism where, the climate change council, the county climate change planning committee and the ward climate change planning committees were institutionalised.
The governor said the formulation of county climate change policy gives Kisumu a millage in localising climate change actions and hence contributing to the nationally determined contribution.
With the Act in place, the county climate change fund mechanism has been operationalised and in coordination with ward climate change planning committees which are mandated to identify climate investments for local action.
“Climate change remains one of the biggest threats to the world because of emissions from fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas caused by human activities,” Nyong’o said.
The extreme weather events linked to global warming include heat waves, floods and forest fires.
The governor said natural solutions should focus on combating climate change by investing in Africa’s natural carbon sinks.
Nyong’o said the biggest polluters are not willing to stop their bad habits of emitting green house gasses into the atmosphere through equally bad industrial habits of exploiting fossil fuels for automation and production.
“We have reached a point of no return and inaction will mean catastrophic outcomes for life on the planet as our overall activities in the area on the environment will not only impact climate action, but also our livelihoods,” Nyong’o said.
He also called on residents to start preparing the urban areas to be able to respond to emerging challenges that would have a bearing on the quality of livelihood going into the future.
Nyong’o said supporting developing countries to undertake this change by establishing and financing the adaptation fund, is non- negotiable.
“Since COP26 failed us in this regard, we hope to make better progress in COP27 in Cairo next year. World refused to take action when the scientists spoke,” he said.
Nyong’o said his administration has prioritised the formulation of the County Climate Change Policy and Kisumu Climate Change Act, 2020.
He said the overall activities in the area on environment will not only impact climate action but also how people live.
The studies, Nyong’o said, have shown that by 2050, the world population will be living in urban dwellings.
“We are therefore called upon to start preparing our urban areas to be able to respond to emerging challenges that will have a bearing on the quality of livelihood going into the future. This informed our decision to start planning our urban areas in line with global trends,” he said.
Further, he said his administration gazetted five urban areas into towns namely Maseno, Kombewa, Katito, Muhoroni and Ahero.
“We have since unveiled Maseno, Ahero and Katito and put in place institutional structures to manage it in accordance with the law,” Nyong’o said.
In the concluded financial year, he said the county has prioritised infrastructure improvements in the upgraded towns that would prepare them for commercial take-off.
Nyong'o said gazettment has seen the paving of Kadani road in Ahero, Kombewa ring road in Kombewa town and paving of Katito market in Katito town.
The roads will ease movement of goods and services and allow for more trading hours in a healthier environment.
The governor said prudent use of resources from development partners has been one of the county's strengths for attracting further support from bilateral partners.
Following successful implementation of Kenya Informal Settlements Programme phase one, a World Bank funded project through the Ministry of Housing and urban Development, the county has qualified for phase two of the Sh984.395 million project.
The fund will be used for infrastructure improvements in 10 settlements around the county.
Nyong’o said the successful implementation of KISIP one has also put the county in good position for consideration of a further 40 million Euros to be disbursed to 33 counties participating in KISIP 2.
“Our Urban regeneration agenda is now clear for all to see. The transformation of Kisumu City has positioned it as a business hub of choice,” he added.