This segment hosts blog stories that include opinions and thoughts on environment, climate change, energy, and policy. The 21st century has uncovered so many environmental problems that need to be addressed. It calls different voices, opinions, and actions to influence change. Call for climate action, and clean cooking finds ground when more people speak up and pen their opinions.
Following our 3 hour-discussion on climate change, emerging issues and potential solutions with reference to different contexts and geographical regions, the following points are some of the key issues that came up. The discussion was themed: Solutions to combat climate change and emerging issues and was coordinated by Biophilic conversation with the participation of several players including our own Caroline Kibii, Team leader and coordinator, Enviro Wild Initiative. The conservation was held on Twitter Spaces.
The slum communities, also known as informal settlements, although they have a significant impact on the development and advancement of Nairobi City as the capital of Kenya and an important economic and socio-political hub in Africa, are highly vulnerable to climate change.
“Humanity faces many threats, but none is greater than climate change. In damaging our climate, we are becoming the architects of our own destruction,” Prince Charles, U.K. As we struggle to meet our needs and greed, we have ended up doing many activities that not only harm the environment but also ourselves. Many plant and animal species have gone extinct due to human activity. Human activities that are harming the climate include deforestation, using fossil fuel, industrial waste pollution, destroying wetlands, soil degradation and many more.
Trees and forests offer diverse ecological and socioeconomic benefits to humans irrespective of their geographical location. However, trees and forests are hardly available and are inaccessible in most urban areas mainly because of the continued population increase and development activities.
Climate change impacts on fishing are widespread and affect the social and economic activities within the coastal region.
Realising that climate change will likely be experienced in the foreseeable future, the fishermen noted that they had taken some adaptive measures. A fundamental reason is that fishing is their primary source of livelihood, and it is like a career they are unwilling to let go of despite the challenges they encounter.
Mombasa, one of the coastal towns in Kenya, is widely known for its warm to hot weather, leaving people from winter countries craving it. For years, we have witnessed an influx of local and international tourists; some travel thousands of miles to enjoy the Mombasa heat.
While climate change impacts continue to devastate several communities in varying magnitudes and scales, coastal communities suffer unique climate-related risks whose implications call for urgent action.
As is already known, climate change affects everyone. All people suffer the consequences of climate change. However, the most vulnerable groups, such as those in informal settlements, mostly slum areas, often known as the urban poor, are at greater risk.
The first plenary session on Positive Tipping Points for Transformative Change at the GLFClimate hybrid conference alongside COP26 demonstrated the need for a multisectoral and integrated approach towards keeping warming to 1.5°C. Everyone has a role to play by committing to lowering their emissions.
Forests are critical ecosystems that benefit the environment and biodiversity and affect the nature of human existence.
