Kenya

Herders in Kenya are slowly sinking in depression as they watch their only source of livelihood (cattle) succumb to drought. These poor people who counted their wealth in thousands months ago are now left speechless as thousands of cattle die everyday.

Following the greedy nature of some Kenyans and some government officials to illegally encroach forest land for crop and livestock production and commercial illegal commercial logging, the environment is totally degraded. Now Mother Nature as decided to hit back and it has done it with maximum force. Cattle are dying by the thousands. Millions of people are facing hunger, starvation and death as a result of a poor harvest, crop failures and rising commodity prices caused climate change impacts on our lands, resources and livelihoods.

I once again wish to share with you on more effects of climate change in Tharaka land, this time headed as the side effects of climate change. The point there in are all negative. I wish to continue mingling with the farmers and learn whether there are any positive points made by the climate change whatsoever.

Chabari Z.K,
Programme Coordinator, RIDEP.

More "side effects" of climate change: the Tharaka experience

Some of the observations and experiences of the impacts of climate change on land, resources or livelihoods in North Nandi forest.

Kibera, a populous slum in Kenya is now leading in the use of alternative green energy in an intervention to cope with energy crisis. A pilot project in Kibera is producing biogas from human wastes! The constructed public toilets are fitted with heavy digesters leading to biogas production, thus disadvantaged community can now cook with clean energy. Great strategy to cope with energy crisis, an impact of climate change. Kudos to the local NGO, Ministry of Energy and Jomo kenyatta University(JKUAT). Lets go green energy.

Chiawo
Kenyatta University.

For some times now, Tharaka district like every other region globally has been badly hit by climate change. The impact is so prominent that even the elderly and the very young alike are narrating of the phenomenon. Some of the obvious indicators (as at 25th August 2009 during our normal field visit to monitor the progress of the projects) are:

The hunter gatherers as the forest dwellers, through their Indigenous knowledge link to wild species have answers for addressing the causes and the impacts on Climate Change. Climate change is real. "Our forest has been destroyed. No Bee hives, hyrax, wild fruits and herbal medicine. We are being forced to adapt western culture and move out of our ancestral land…we will just die". Orop Kenyinget, March 2004, Nkaroni, Narok District Ogiek people are the main stake holders of the Indigenous knowledge of conservation of water catchments and forest, due to their unique culture.

As known now the issues of climate are becoming complicated. I should thank you for the initiatives you have taken to rescue the situation. You see there is a lot of changes everywhere. Myself I come from a village near mount Kilimanjaro, I suppose you have heard of the snow cap of that mountain declining every year. Also most of the rivers coming from up-mountain now they have less water every year. I was in Lushoto recently (the usambara mountains) as now I live in Tanga I have experienced the same trend rivers down the stream have almost no water at this juncture which is not very normal.

Nyando river basin in Kenya is traversed by several small streams that flow either into river Nyando or directly into Lake Victoria. Over the years the region has experienced long rains in the months of March - June with very short rain spell in November. This trend has been rather irregular in the recent years with floods occurring in the months of August instead of the months of April. Dry weather periods have increased in length and farm harvest are dwindling. One such community that has experienced this change in climate is Wakesi community.

Restoration of the Mau forest complex in Kenya underway