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Despite the urgent need for action, managing and mitigating climate change in Kenya has proven to be a complex and challenging task.
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One of the primary challenges in managing climate change in Kenya is the country's economic constraints.
Image: File
Climate change poses a significant threat to Kenya, affecting various aspects of life, from agriculture and water resources to health and infrastructure.
Despite the urgent need for action, managing and mitigating climate change in Kenya has proven to be a complex and challenging task.
One of the primary challenges in managing climate change in Kenya is the country's economic constraints.
As a developing nation, Kenya faces numerous economic pressures that limit its ability to invest in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
The costs associated with transitioning to renewable energy, enhancing infrastructure resilience, and implementing sustainable agricultural practices are significant and often compete with other pressing national needs.
"Financial limitations are a major barrier to effective climate change management in Kenya," Faith Karanja, an environmental economist at the University of Nairobi says.
"While the government recognises the importance of addressing climate change, limited resources and competing development priorities make it difficult to allocate sufficient funding to these efforts," she says.
Weak institutional frameworks and governance issues also hinder climate change management in Kenya.
Coordination among various government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and private sector stakeholders is often also lacking, leading to fragmented and ineffective responses to climate change.
Additionally, corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies can impede the implementation of climate policies and programs.
A report by Transparency International Kenya highlights the governance challenges in the environmental sector.
"Corruption and lack of accountability in the management of natural resources are major obstacles to effective climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts," the report says.
Another significant challenge is the limited public awareness and engagement on climate change issues.
While there is growing recognition of climate change among policymakers and environmental advocates, many Kenyans, particularly in rural areas, remain unaware of the causes and consequences of climate change.
This lack of awareness hampers community-level action and support for climate policies.
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations chairman Richard Nyaga echoed these sentiments during the launch of KARA Citizen Handbook on Climate Change.
He underscored the importance of simplifying climate information.
"To be impactful there is need for adequate awareness and sharing of information on climate change," Nyaga stated.
Kenya also faces technological and infrastructure gaps that complicate climate change management.
The transition to renewable energy sources, such as sun wind and water for example, requires significant investments in technology and infrastructure.
According to KARA, renewable energy is made up of clean sources that are replaced.
Additionally, the country's infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, is often ill-equipped to withstand the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events.
The Kenya National Adaptation Plan (NAP) identifies infrastructure resilience as a key priority.
"Enhancing the resilience of infrastructure to climate change impacts is critical for sustainable development. This requires significant investments in technology, capacity building, and infrastructure improvements," NAP says.
Despite these challenges, there are several key measures that Kenya can take to mitigate climate change and build resilience against its impacts.
Image: FILE
Kenya has made notable strides in developing renewable energy sources, particularly geothermal, wind and solar power.
Expanding these efforts can significantly reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), renewable energy sources accounted for about 75 per cent of Kenya's electricity generation in 2020.
"Investing in renewable energy is not only essential for reducing emissions but also for ensuring energy security and economic growth," KenGen says.
"Kenya has vast renewable energy potential, and harnessing this potential is key to our sustainable development."
Sustainable agricultural practices can help mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security and livelihoods.
This includes promoting climate-smart agriculture, which integrates sustainable land management practices, improved crop varieties, and efficient water use.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) emphasises the importance of these practices, noting that they can increase productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), climate-smart agriculture is vital for building resilience in our agricultural sector.
"By adopting sustainable practices, farmers can improve yields, protect natural resources, and enhance their resilience to climate change," Unep says.
Improving institutional frameworks and governance is critical for effective climate change management.
The establishment of the Climate Change Directorate under the Ministry of Environment is a positive step in this direction.
Increasing public awareness and engagement is essential for mobilising community support for climate action.
With notable organisations such as KARA who have prepared a handbook and Kenya Editors Guild KEG who have a climate change training manual that intends to equip Kenya editors and reporters on climate reporting, public awareness will be achieved.
Another way this can also be achieved is by leveraging media and technology to disseminate information and involving local communities in climate change initiatives.
Managing climate change in Kenya is fraught with challenges, however, Kenya can effectively mitigate the impacts of climate change and build resilience for the future.
The need for coordinated and sustained action is urgent, and the stakes could not be higher.