CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT

The Challenges:

Kenya’s deforestation rate was at its highest during the Moi regime characterised by a great appetite for land grabbing with total disregard for environmental protection. Consequently, we face massive environmental challenges now.

Deforestation, water resources depletion, threats to biodiversity and fisheries resources, human habitat degradation, pollution and climate change are all priority issues that need urgent attention.

Water resource management is a major environmental issue, and the demand for existing water resources for agriculture, manufacturing and urban uses is becoming a constraint to sustainable development.

Soil nutrient levels are declining owing to inappropriate farming which subsequently compels farmers to expand into marginal areas and into indigenous forests, thus putting pressure on biodiversity.

Owing to climate change, we are getting more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Frequent floods and droughts challenge the capacity of the Government and of the private sector to maintain sound economic growth. Nearly 3.5 million Kenyans required food aid and other humanitarian assistance following poor rains in 2006. Nearly 70% of livestock were lost in arid and semi-arid regions. Climate change cannot be ignored as it affects the foundations of human and economic development of our nation.

Our Commitments:

We will combat escalating environmental desertification and degradation by ensuring that environmental protection is built into every economic decision in all areas of government policy.

We will scale up Professor Wangari Maathai’s Nobel award winning Green Belt initiative.

We will ensure a participatory approach with local communities to ensure sustainable forest conservation and management.

Your ODM Government will:

• Place concern for the environment at the heart of Government’s policy –from housing and energy policies to policies on global warming.

• Undertake environmental audits for major existing projects and environmental impact assessments for new projects.

• Introduce measures whereby local communities will share revenue from the core management of natural resources.

• Make greater use of carbon emissions trading and environmental taxation to pursue our “green agenda” both to deter pollution and provide resources to invest in sustainable alternatives.

• Introduce plans for the micro-generation of power.

• Strengthen regulations on industrial pollution, intensify the monitoring of environmental pollution and ensure that the polluter pays for the damage.

• Promote civic environmental education and awareness campaigns nationally and take action to implement waste recycling.

• Introduce strict measures to fight against water hyacinth and bilharzia infestation. The fishing sector faces continuous challenges as a result of environmental degradation of Lakes Victoria, Naivasha and Turkana. Therefore, improving the stability of annual fish stocks is an urgent agenda.

• Protect and conserve water towers including Mount Kenya, Mau Escarpment, Mount Elgon, the Aberdares and Cherangany Hills.

• Introduce fast-growing bamboo trees to replenish forests stripped of timber, providing alternative fuel wood to local populations in the absence of other energy sources.

• Conserve mangrove and marine resources.

• Encourage the use of bio-degradable packaging materials.

• Develop recycling of waste structures in all cities and municipalities.