What counties are doing in fight against climate change

Without doubt, weather patterns are drastically changing. And for worse. Those aged 70 and above, as opposed to younger generations, can attest to this climate anomaly.

In recent times, higher temperatures and heat waves, floods, droughts, desertification, erratic rains, rising water levels in lakes and seas, melting ice such as on Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro, low groundwater levels, and other adverse climatic effects have been witnessed.

These occurrences usually lead to famines, hunger, poor nutrition, disease, wildfires, deforestation, displacement of people and migration, human-wildlife conflict, air pollution, competition for water and pasture, loss of livestock, soil erosion, locust invasions, loss of biodiversity, deprivation of livelihoods, etc.

A majority of our citizens acknowledge that something awry is happening to their habitat, but are unable to comprehend this phenomenon which commenced in the 1800s, especially with the onset of industrialisation. 

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 1992), “climate change means a change of climate, which is caused directly or indirectly by human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is, in addition to natural climate variability, observed over comparable time periods.”

How then does climate change occur?

Industrialisation and other human activities produce carbon dioxide-related greenhouse gas emissions. Examples of these actions are reduction of green spaces to pave the way for farming, use of fossil fuels for transportation and energy production, biological waste disposed in landfills, deforestation, charcoal burning etc. These increase the earth’s temperatures, resulting in global warming.

Greenhouse gases

Global warming of the planet began to be seriously addressed through the UNFCCC. The 1992 convention recognises that human activities have substantially increased the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, leading to warming of the earth’s surface and atmosphere, which may adversely affect natural ecosystems and mankind.

The instrument also notes that the developed industrial countries bear the largest responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, whereas the most affected by climate change are poor developing nations.

The UNFCCC affirms that to combat climate change, cooperation between states is essential. 

From 1995, annual Conferences of Parties (COPs) have been held to: evaluate progress in dealing with climate change; negotiate the Kyoto Protocol (1997) to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their green-house gas emissions; discuss the Paris Agreement (2015) as part of the Durban platform (2011), which created a pathway towards climate action.

In 2006, COP12 was held in Kenya when I was minister for Environment and Natural Resources and president of the UNFCCC. In the just ended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, delegates resolved that member states should further strengthen reduction of their carbon emissions, support vulnerable countries with green finance and technology, and assist local communities to build more resilience to abate climate crisis. 

Although significant progress has been made in the battle against climate change, still there is lingering controversy on whether climate change is real or a hoax, and who should shoulder responsibility for addressing and funding climate emergency.

Currently the climate calamity is perceived as any major global problem of the past and present such as the world wars, nuclear war threat, HIV&Aids and the more recent Covid-19 pandemics.

Alternative energy

Not all developed UNFCCC member states adhere to the convention. During the Trump era, USA withdrew from the UNFCCC, only for the country under President Joe Biden to embrace the framework. Today, China, Russia and India resist involvement in global climate commitments, particularly reduced carbon emissions.

Many states prioritise their right to unhindered industrialisation without care about greenhouse gas emissions. They pit climate action against development.

Africa continues to be the epicentre of the climate crisis in terms of the devastation wrecking communities even though it only contributes 3 per cent to the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

Therefore, despite our emissions being insignificant, Africa bears the brunt of the climate change impact. For instance, Kenya contributes to less than 1 per cent of emissions but is number 31 globally in terms of climate change impact.

So what needs to be done to mitigate these deleterious effects?

Mitigation consists of interventions to reduce emission sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases, for instance, alternative energy, carbon sequestration, increasing tree cover, change in agricultural and water systems, reducing risk from rising water levels in lakes and seas, among other measures.

Adaptation, on the other hand, is an “adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities” (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001) such as building flood dykes, early warning systems, switching to drought-resistant crops, re-designing communication systems, green businesses and reviewing government policies to mainstream climate change as a cross-cutting issue.

Climate change policy

At the national level, Kenya has been a crusader of climate change response by putting in place various policies, laws, action plans and programmes including the National Climate Change Act, 2016, and the National Drought Management Act, 2016.

What then is the climate action happening at the sub-national level?

More than 30 counties have climate change policy and legislative frameworks. The rest are developing them. Several counties such as Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Wajir and Isiolo have climate change fund mechanisms. A few have ward climate change planning committees.

The just-concluded 7th Annual Devolution Conference in Makueni, themed ‘Multi-Level Governance for Climate Action’ aligned with the global call for climate change post COP26. The focus of the discussion was how to cushion vulnerable communities affected by climate change. The elephant in the room was how to mobilise adequate resources to undertake the challenge. 

The Makueni conference resolutions are to guide the national and county governments to cooperate and implement practical policies and action plans to address climate change. Both levels of government resolved to strengthen inter-governmental consultations on agriculture, increase budgetary allocations to climate actions and provide early warning systems.

During the conference, a World Bank project dubbed ‘Financing Locally-led Climate Action (FLoCA)’ was launched. This will provide resources to assist communities build climate change resilience.

Ultimately, individual commitment to climate action is critical. For example, to achieve the designated 10 per cent tree cover, each Kenyan should grow trees their age.

Prof Kibwana is the Governor of Makueni County