Category: ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) has today awarded a cumulative of KES 23,950,000 to five community youth organizations to support their innovative ideas towards environmental sustainability and conservation. Under its Young Environmentalist Innovative Challenge (YEIC), KCDF aims at developing action-oriented young individuals and youth-led organizations committed to the conservation of the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finalists of the inaugural challenge, launched in 2023, were awarded in this event that also saw the launch of the second edition. The winners included Inua DamSite from Nyandarua County, EcoRich Solutions and Placom Manufacturers from Nairobi County, and Farmer Lifeline Technologies and Fruity Schools Africa from Kiambu County.

This year’s edition seeks to award three young individual environment champions with grants of up to KES 1.5 Million and six organizations with grants of up to KES 5 Million each, for implementing their unique environment conservation-based ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YEIC is an environmental innovation fund established by KCDF with support from Mackenzie Scott to bolster innovative ideas and solutions that promote environmental conservation, sustainable resource management, and community resilience. KCDF has partnered with the National Environment Trust Fund (NetFund), Green Generation Initiative (GGI), and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) to identify top unique ideas through this initiative.

In a ceremony that brought together, youth representatives, the private sector, environment champions, advocates, and enthusiasts, the event underscored the significance of environmental conservation in addressing pressing global issues such as drought and climate change. It emphasized the role of digital technology in enhancing efforts to protect the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking during the event, the Chief Guest Mr. Kihara Maina, Regional CEO of I&M Group PLC, commended KCDF for its commitment to supporting youth innovations. He emphasized the government’s role as an enabler, suggesting that some investments are challenging for individuals to undertake alone. Mr. Maina proposed using taxes to support youth-driven innovations, emphasizing that sustainability hinges on profitability, which can then fund transformative innovations.

“Our commitment is to lead change through shared value, with a significant allocation towards environmental conservation, education, skills training, and economic empowerment. I applaud the YEIC competition for its eye-opening impact, and I hope the second iteration will scale up in both quality and reach, to engage diverse partners in addressing environmental challenges,” he said.

On her part, the KCDF Executive Director Ms. Grace Maingi emphasized the importance of fostering and advancing innovation within the development sector, alongside efforts to control carbon emissions.

“We aim to empower young people by recognizing their potential through the Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge. As we launch the second call for applicants, we have extended support eligibility to individuals aged 15 to 35, offering grants of up to five million shillings. Central to our mission is fostering sustainable change for sustainable development. To achieve this, we are committed to placing technology at the forefront. Our theme, “Green and Coded,” underscores our focus on innovative waste management solutions and digital transformations poised to drive future progress.” Said Ms. Maingi.

Elizabeth Wathuti the Founder of Green Generation Initiative (GGI) said that the YEIC challenge arrived at a pivotal moment, serving as an empowering platform for Kenya’s youth amidst formidable competition for resources dominated by larger organizations.

“We stand at a crucial crossroads where every decision made will shape the legacy we leave for future generations. This challenge presents us with a unique opportunity to tap into young people’s local ingenuity and passion, enabling them to lead in safeguarding their environment.” She concluded.

The Association of Consulting Engineers of Kenya (ACEK) are calling upon both the National and County Governments to take immediate action in accordance with the legislative frameworks that places execution of relevance at this time to avoid future disasters and flood occurrences during the rainy seasons

Some of the measures that ACEK are beseeching both levels of government to implore is to respond to situation of human settlement on/or along waterways and river flood plains, review and align to policy and legislative frameworks developed in yesteryears in addressing the situation of communities living downstream of the 7 forks dams of the River Tana Flood

Constitute Specialists Taskforce to review adequacy and capacity of the drainage system and water channels to adequately convey and evacuate storm water to the natural outfall.

The government has also been advised to review their current frameworks around regular cleaning and removal of debris from the surface drains and river channels and take into consideration, avoiding the dumping of construction waste and excavated spoils along the river channels.

According to the association Secretary, Eng. Gabriel Jabongo, the Governments should review policy frameworks that will respond to the situation of careless blocking of road drains and access to culverts especially by the roadside business community, which has recently occupied the road reserve with reckless abandon.

‘’We are asking the Government to review the effectiveness of current policy frameworks in addressing deliberate/ignorant blocking/damage of the Road Drainage Channels by developers to access private property. Also to review the effectiveness of current legislative and policy frameworks that guides good practice in the management of the river catchments through evaluated and approved farming methods, conservation of natural forest and natural vegetation cover, along the entire river catchments.’’ Said Jabongo

He added ‘’ Review of the effectiveness of current policy frameworks that guides river channel maintenance programmes and  Assessment of effectiveness of the populations towards heeding to all warnings and alerts ahead of suspected/impending flooding’’

 

Public have also been urged to always seek involve and consult for professional advice, only from qualified engineers on matters to do with development of buildings, civil and power/energy and infrastructure

According to the first international poll on climate change and methane gas emissions commissioned by the Global Methane Hub, 96% of Kenyans surveyed support action to minimize the impacts of climate change, . The poll also revealed that Kenya is among the more knowledgeable countries surveyed regarding the harmful impacts of methane emissions and that there is an appetite for change: 85% of Kenyans support taking action to mitigate harmful methane gas emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Globally, the poll reached people in 17 countries across six continents – Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, South Korea, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The online survey gathered data from a total of 12,976 adults, at least 750 in each country, and asked respondents questions on key issues ranging from views on climate change, environmental concerns and support for action, knowledge of methane gas emissions, and support for specific policies to reduce methane gas emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

In all 17 countries surveyed, respondents indicated significant support for policy solutions that would make strides toward tackling climate change. Overall, 82% of respondents say they support actions taken to minimize methane emissions, with 39% showing strong support. Kenya has the highest and most intense level of support for addressing climate change of all participating countries (96% total support, including 80% who strongly support action).

 

“Reducing methane emissions is the fastest way to drive down global temperature and reduce the impacts of climate change,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of Global Methane Hub. “The survey shows that countries most impacted by climate change are also those who most support mitigating methane. The good news is that doing so will also bring additional benefits, including energy and food security, and healthier communities.”

 

Though respondents’ initial level of familiarity with methane varies between the African countries surveyed, initial support for methane mitigation is high in all of them and increases with further education on the issue. Respondents across all four countries reported high levels of concern about water quality, including 75% of Kenyans who say they are very concerned. Additionally, 72% of Kenyans are very concerned about crop yields, and 67% are very concerned about droughts.

Of the four African nations surveyed, Kenyans report being most deeply impacted by the changing climate: 46% say it has an “extreme” impact on their lives, and another 19% say it has a “strong” impact on their lives (65% combined “extreme” or “strong”).

 

“Methane is the second largest driver of climate change after carbon dioxide, but methane reductions strongly reduce warming rates much more quickly than carbon dioxide reductions do,” said Drew Shindell, Chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Scientific Advisory Panel and Professor of Earth Science at the Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. “It’s therefore crucial that we build on this increased public awareness and reduce both of these pollutants rapidly to protect those suffering from climate change and air pollution now as well as protecting future generations.”

 

Methane gas emissions have contributed to about half of the warming we are experiencing today, causing harm to communities around the globe. As policymakers and other actors look for solutions to cool the planet following the hottest year on record, reducing methane by 45% is crucial to lowering warming by 0.3 degrees Celsius by 2040, putting us on a path to a healthy future and meeting international climate commitments. Over a 20-year time scale, methane is 86 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and 28 times more potent over a 100-year time scale.

Around the world, people surveyed feel that large corporations, national governments, and individual citizens are the most to blame for environmental harm, though they believe national governments, corporations, and international governmental systems are far more capable than individual citizens to make meaningful changes to minimize the impacts of climate change.

 

“Taken together, the data tells a very clear picture,” said Natalie Lupiani, VP at BSG. “The citizens in these 17 countries are impacted by climate change, they are concerned about it overall and on specific outcomes, such as water quality or heat waves, and they have an appetite for meaningful change at the public policy level to address methane emissions. In my view, the data is a strong indication that people support their governments taking action to protect them against the rising global temperature.”