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 g...

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 gu...