Green Podium

The 23 rd session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change is planned to be held this year between 6 th and 17 th November in the city Bonn, Germany. It will be hosted by the secretariat of the UNFCCC and presided over by Fiji in partnership with the German government. This conference will provide a platform for nations and stakeholders to engage on ways to combat climate change and global warming and its causes. It will also push for implementation of the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The conference being under the presidency of the Fijian government provides a great opportunity to island nations to raise awareness of their vulnerability to the effects of climate change and global warming for example rise in sea levels that endanger the existence of these small island nations through the threat of being submerged in the water and wild storms like Cyclone Winston of 2016. Kenya has already ratified the Paris Agreement and the next

There is need to conserve and protect our natural resources so as to be able to tackle issues of climate change and global warming. The government through the ministry of environment is working towards attaining the ten per cent tree cover as recommended by the international standards which will act as carbon sinks. I  December 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched a programme dubbed ‘greening schools campaign’ through the ministry of education which aims at promoting tree planting in schools and among the young generation. The Kenya forest service has also been active with various tree planting initiatives which aim at meeting this target. Trees are an integral part in the fight against climate change due to their role as carbon sinks by absorbing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere hence combating global warming. Working with NEMA, the ministry has formulated key policy documents and plans which will tackle issues related to climate change. These will track emission of green

The statistics on the few remaining lions in Kenya and the rate at which they are dying together with the threats facing lions got me shocked. I have a feeling that if something is not done urgently then the future generations will be denied a chance to have an encounter with these and also to benefit from the resources just as we are benefitting from them at the moment. So it is upon us, as the present generation to make all possible efforts to make sure that the lions are well conserved and to help increase their population. It is said that a lion is worth more than USD 1 million a year therefore it is clear to many how much the country stands to lose in terms of tourism earnings. Lions are among the ’big five’ which have attracted tourists to our country. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner to Kenya. If lions in Kenya become instinct then the number of tourists visiting the country will drop as they will opt for other destinations and this will present a big loss to th

Let's come out and call for justice for wildlife this Saturday the 7th of October 2017, as we march from the National Museums of Kenya to the Kenya Wildlife Services headquaters in Nairobi from 8am to 3pm in solidarity with the Global March for Elephants, Rhinos and Lions movement. The march's objective will be to speak out against illegal practices such as poaching and also highlighting conservation issues which include human-wildlife conflicts, urbanisation and climate change among others. These are among threats that have made these animals to face the threat of being endangered that could lead them to extinction. The call for an end to all forms of trade in wildlife trophies such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and lion teeth and bones will also be reiterated by the participants. On the frontline of this event will be  Wildlife Direct . Lets make our voice be heard by joining this great cause. Conversation is going on on social media is using #Justice4Wildlife and #GM

The UN Environment in conjuction with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is hosting the Environment and Emergencies Forum (EEF) in Nairobi, Kenya from today the 26th to 28th September to discuss developments on how countries can prepare and respond to environmental emergencies. The main focus this year will be on the human health and environmental threats caused by armed conflicts. Usually, first responders go into humanitarian situations with uncertainity and always face various environmental and health risks in their duty. They also have limited knowledge of the area of their operation with regards to such risks since assessment of environmental impacts of conflicts has always been done much way after a war or conflict has ended. However, since emergency situations have to be attended to urgently, the responders have been forced to venture in these areas despite the possible risks they could be exposed to. Participants at the EEF this year will be a

Karura Forest has taken the government's ban on plastic bags a notch higher by banning all plastics from the forest. All disposable plastic including plastic bottles will no longer be allowed in the forest and visitors to the forest have been provided garbage bins at the gates where such can be dumped before being allowed in. This move by the Friends of Karura Forest in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service has been lauded by various stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment with the support of the cabinet secretary Prof Judi Wakhungu. Plastic rubbish has been a heavy pollutant in Karura forest hence the need to take such a move. Plastic take thousands of years to degrade and is an eyesore to the natural environment. It has also been proving a great cost financially since employees had to move around the forest everyday to pick and collect carelessly disposed plastic waste. In terms of alternatives, visitors are encouraged to carry reuseable trail bottles whi

Are you a young kenyan woman aged below 25 years and currently studying in a kenyan university? Are you passionate about the environment? Can you demonstrate this passion through evidence of ongoing innovative environmental project(s)? Can you demonstrate the ability to lead, advocate for and influence others (or a section) in your community to act in a responsible manner on environmental matters? Can you innovate ideas on good environmental management that can be replicated elsewhere? If you believe you meet the above criteria then you stand a chance to win the Wangari Maathai Scholarship. All you have to do is to visit the KCDF website  and download the application form, fill and submit it before 5:00 pm 30th of July 2017. The following attachments will be required; - Scanned copy of your most recent college financial status or financial information - Scanned copy of your Student ID, - Most recent digital photograph (a passport photo) - A scanned copy of your guardi

This year's World Environment Day will be marked at Egerton University, Njoro Campus, Nakuru County. The theme for the celebrations is  “Connecting People with Nature” . There is need to find ways that are exciting to grow and develop your connection to nature and this is what this year's theme is rallying everyone to take part in since we are part of nature and depend on it in various ways. Lets find events near us for us to take part in as we mark this important day and share the experiences with the rest of the world on the various social media platforms using  #IamWithNature  or #WorldEnvironmentDay2017ke . Remember, it doesn’t start and end on the 5 th  of June, but this should be a continuous process embedded in our culture and day to day activities.

This is the theme for this year's World Environment Day celebrations to be marked on 5th of June and it calls out on all of us to venture outdoors and get to connect with nature by appreciating all that it has to offer as well as taking steps towards protecting and conserving it. The host country of WED 2017 will be Canada. The theme this year seeks to enlighten us of the importance of nature and how we are an integral part of it. We therefore need to come out and find exciting  and fun ways to experience nature. Some ways of doing this may include visiting game parks, nature trails, beaches, wilderness areas or even participate in a clean up exercise as a way of appreciating and caring for the environment. While you are at it, you can capture the moments using pictures or videos and share on social media with everyone else through #WithNature or #WorldEnvironmentDay with probably a small narration of how special the moment was to you. So what are you waiting for? Get out th

Question 1: Which plastics have been banned? Answer: The ban applies to all plastic carrier bags and flat bags used for commercial and household packaging. Question 2: What is a plastic carrier bag? Answer: This is a single-use plastic bag constructed with handles and may have a gusset or not. Question 3: What is a flat bag? Answer: A flat bag is a plastic bag constructed without handles and may have a gusset or not. Question 4: What are the major concerns of plastics bags? Answer: Plastic bags are usually manufactured for single use and generally tear or puncture after a first use. They are easily transported by the wind and are some of the most visible components of roadside and shoreline litter. Plastic bags are produced from oil and natural gas, and never fully biodegrade, remaining in the environment as small or even microscopic particles, essentially forever. Question 5: Are plastics used for primary industrial packaging also banned by the Gazette Notice? Answe

Our country seems to be running on plastic bags, from supermarkets, retail shops, local markets and even in our own homes, plastic bags have become a part of our lives. However this has presented us with a menace that has become a concern from various quarters, due to careless dumping of used plastic bags. Recently, the government banned the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging and gave a 6 month window period for the law to become effective. The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Prof. Judi Wakhungu on the 15 th  of March 2017 passed a gazette notice on the ban and this will be effective come 28 th  of August 2017. The banned plastic bags are in two categories namely: Carrier bags – constructed with handles, and with or without gussets Flat bags – constructed without handles, and with or without gussets Manufacturers have argued that this will spell doom for their industries as wel

Saturday 25 th  March 2017 will mark the 10 th  anniversary of the earth hour celebrations. The timing will be as from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. This event has been marked every year since its inception in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, by the WWF. In this event, participants are required to turn off non essential lights for a whole hour as a way of raising awareness of climate change and show willingness to protect the planet. You can as well participate by turning off your lights or switching off electrical appliances during that period as an action aimed at showing that you are ready to take part in creating a more environmentally sustainable planet. We should embrace renewable energy as well as going for energy saving technologies. Let us unite and pledge support for nature as we shine a light on climate action. We can be heroes for our planet.  #ChangeClimateChange

The recently witnessed conflicts between herders and ranchers in Laikipia that have turned fatal in some instances is a true manifestation of what natural resource conflicts can result in. We did see herders invade land belonging to ranchers who are involved in wildlife conservation projects in a bid to graze their animals due to reduced pasture that was brought about by the prolonged drought and a poor rainfall pattern that has made the availability of water to shrink. Natural resource conflicts are caused by various factors which boil down to one aspect which is the access to, control and use of natural resources. This is as a result of the fact that there is varying importance that different groups of people attach to these resources for example forests, land, water and pasture are valued differently by different populations. Resource degradation has led to scarcity of resources as a result of climate change, droughts, floods etc. The dwindling resources have made communitie

Last week, on March 8th was the International Women’s Day and as the day was celebrated it hit my mind that women do have a crucial role in matters of agriculture and the environment. Agriculture contributes to 27% of Kenya’s GDP and within this sector women carry out most of the farm activities as men move to urban centres in search of employment opportunities. Women have faced a number of challenges with respect to this as highlighted below. Women are poorly equipped for their role in the area of farming. Most of them are involved in subsistence farming and lack adequate access to production resources such as inputs, extension services and information. Women farmers have very little contact with extension services agents, denying them a possible source of information and encouragement to adapt to better technologies that are central to increased agricultural productivity and subsequent economic growth. Research has shown that female headed households do not attend most field d

Commemoration of the signing of the Ramsar Convention is always marked on the 2nd of February of every year. Its that time again and this year the theme is 'Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction'.  This celebration aims to enlighten people on the significance of wetlands in reduction of disaster risk and fighting climate change. Wetlands are useful in regulating climate change by acting as carbon sinks that store carbon from the atmosphere. They also help in protection against extreme weather conditons as well as assisting in flood control. They act as natural sponges that absorb water and reduce the impact of floods. Excess water is stored in wetlands such as ponds and marshes and is very helpful in replenishing water bodies during droughts.   Graphics courtesy of Oceanwatch Australia This is a critical role that wetlands play in terms of disaster risk reduction. Kenya will mark this years World Wetlands Day at Kipsaina Market in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County w

2017 is here with us. Happy New Year everyone. Below are some important dates that you need to mark on your calenders as we continue to fight for nature. 2 nd  February World Wetlands Day: Wetlands and Agriculture 21 st  March International Day of Forests and the Tree  22 nd  March World Water Day 22 nd  April Earth Day 22 nd  May International Day for Biological Diversity  5 th  June World Environment Day  17 th  June World Day to Combat Desertification  16 th  September International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer  16 th  October World Food Day  6 th  November International Day for the Preservation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.              Photo: art by Kennedy Kyalo, Makueni Boys High School  (20/07/2008)