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Counties asked intensify environment conservation mechanism – Kenya News Agency

Counties asked intensify environment conservation mechanism – Kenya News Agency

As drought continues to impact different areas of the country, environmental partners have reiterated that sustainable development requires prioritisation of environmental conservation.

Stakeholders called for greater environmental conservation during a two-day meeting to discuss the West Pokot County Environment Action Plan, (CEAP) sponsored in part by World Vision at Aturukan Hotel Kitale. They argued that not enough attention was being paid to environmental issues.

Dr. Diana Mobagi, Chief Planning Officer at the National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA), maintained that environmental concerns should be given first priority. She argued that it is the foundation for all development.

Environment is everything. Dr. Mabagi suggests that all political candidates should consider including environment issues in their manifestos.

She regretted that the environment was not being established by a county government as a separate docket. This indicates that little is being done to protect the universe.

She appealed the West Pokot people and Kenyans to document their indigenous bylaws concerning environmental conservation. She observed that they were slowly disappearing, calling for the establishment at all levels of sub-committees for environmental conservation.

“Every community had their own unwritten laws on how to protect their environment against degradation. Some communities forbade certain tree species from being used for firewood. This was meant to guard them against extinction thus a more sustainable ecosystem,” she reiterated.

It was discovered that the county was facing many issues, including forest degradation, climate change and unsustainable sand mining, quarrying, and poor solid and liquid waste management.

The stakeholders urged West Pokot residents not to forget about the environment, which was rapidly deteriorating.

Charles Lochero, West Pokot County Executive Committee Member for Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, stated that environmental conservation was left to a few people and called for serious engagements between all stakeholders.

Lochero stated that there must be more consultations to reduce the danger posed by climate change in the region.

He said that discussions on conservation of the environment should be extended to the household level in order to maximize interventions. These sentiments were also shared by environmentalists during the meeting.

According to Solomon Lotolim, an environmentalist from the County, the region is suffering the most from climate change. He said that the area is experiencing the consequences of climate change, such as the drying up and unreliable rains in the famous arable land areas, extreme high temperatures, and decreasing vegetation cover.

Lotolim noted that there is an increase in the use of natural resources in the county, which Lotolim called the Land of Hidden Treasures. He urged strengthened partnerships to prevent environmental disasters.

Mr. Cliff Barkatch, West Pokot Nema County Director, praised World Vision Kenya’s efforts to support the region in addressing climate change and other environmental issues.

According to a Nema Environmental Performance Index Report 2018, West Pokot County was ranked 19, out of 47 counties, with a score of 52.2 per cent. This is slightly less than the national average 56.4 per cent.

The county scored poorly in areas like Waste Water Treatment (0.00%) and Capacity of Environmental Expertise (7.16%), Access to Improved Sanitation (18.31), Safe Drinking Water (25.00), Access to Solid Waste Disposal Services (36,000.00) and Environmental Risk Exposure (39.30).

The average forest coverage in West Pokot County is 8.39%, which is below the minimum 10%.

By Richard Muhambe

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