Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts

Environmentalist Playlist: 5 Green Spaces in Nairobi

City Park, The future.
It is certain that there are fewer and drastically hard to find areas where one can sit quietly and simply listen to the birds sing, walk barefoot in the grass or simply lie under the shade of a tree and take a nap. Communing with nature is becoming a luxury fewer and fewer people can experience, especially for the vast populations of people now crammed in cities. As our cities expand and we build taller buildings, wider roads, pillage the land for fuel and cut into nature to accomodate our unsustainable growth, we are losing touch with nature. Although there are some green spaces still left, they exist because the champions amongst us dared to fight for the land and hence our survival.

Nairobi is very lucky in this regard. We have spaces that are open to the public that allow nature to survive despite our efforts to desicate it in the name of progress. The following are 5 Green spaces that you can enjoy when in Nairobi.

City Park
City Park is located in Parklands across from Aga Khan Hospital. This Park was established in 1921 as a zoological garden on a 91 hectare area, and formally declared a public park in 1925. Despite all efforts by conservationists to protect it, over a third of its area was lost to grabbers and now it is about 60 hectares large. It contains a magnificent sculpture garden whose pieces include the Bird of Peace by Elkana Ongesa, at the Murumbi Memorial Park; a public cemetery that is also the burial place of Pio Gama Pinto, a Journalist and Politician who actively participated in Kenya’s struggle for independence, only to be assassinated in 1965.

Click here to learn more about this zoological garden.


Jevanjee Gardens
Jevanjee Gardens

Jevanjee Gardens was donated to the residents of Nairobi in 1906 by Alibhai Mullah Jeevanjee, this 5 acre recreational park is one of few green spaces gracing Nairobi's CBD. Jeevanjee Gardens is bounded by Moi Avenue, Monrovia Street, Muindi Mbingu Street and Moktar Daddah Street towards the northern end of the city centre. It is centrally located, and easily accessible to residents from all corners of the city. It is free and open to the public and is a serene space featuring beautiful gardens and trees providing a welcome shade from the tropical sun. It is also conveniently dotted with artistic benches, and sculptures making it an ideal picnic spot.

Click here to learn more about this serene garden.


Nairobi Arboretum
Nairobi Arboretum 

Nairobi Arboretum was established in 1907 by Mr. Batiscombe, then Deputy Conservator of Forests, to try out introduced forestry trees for Kenya. It was gazetted as a national reserve in 1932 and in 1996 a title deed issued by Commissioner of land designating it as a public owned reserve.

The Arboretum occupies 30 hectares and holds over 350 tree species; it is home to over 100 species of resident and migrant birds, a multitude of insects, reptiles and small mammals; notably the playful Vervet and Sykes monkeys. The Arboretum is situated 3km from the city centre along State House Road and is open for free to the public. 


Uhuru Park
Uhuru Park

Uhuru Park is the heart of Nairobi's Central Business District. It is a 12.9 hectare green reserve bounded by Ngong road (North) Haillesellasie Avenue (South) Uhuru Highway (East) and Nyerere road (West). It was opened to the general public by the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on 23 May 1969. It contains an artificial lake, several national monuments and an assembly ground that caters to all, from skateboarders and bird watchers, to political and religious gatherings. It has remained untouched due to the remarkable efforts of Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement. It is free and open to the public but do prepare to pay for boat rides.

Click here to learn more about the Soul of Nairobi.

Karura Forest
Karura Forest

Karura Forest Reserve is an urban upland forest on the outskirts of Nairobi that is bounded by Kiambu and Limuru Road. It is a geographical wonderland that boasts one of the largest gazetted forests in the world within city limits. It covers an area of about 1,000 ha and features a 50-foot waterfall, archaeological sites, marshlands that attract bird life including winter migrants from Europe and Asia, caves, serene groves of secondary and primary indigenous trees to name but a few. It also boasts wonderful biking and running trails and has become a favorite venue for many outdoor events.

The forest is a legacy of Professor Wangari Maathai (late founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) because she saved the forest from developers who tried to grab large portions of the north of the central section of the forest.

Karura charges fees at the entrance that go towards forest security, improvement and maintenance.

Click here to learn more about this forest wonderland.

Go forth and commune with nature and let us know your where your favorite green spaces are.

"If you want to lie under a shade in your old age, plant a tree now." - African proverb.
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Waste Management: Nairobi's Indifference Hurts!

STUDY RESULTS: NAIROBI RESIDENTS RELATIONSHIP AND PERCEPTION OF WASTE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
By Christine M. Mahihu


How Green Are African Cities?
January 27, 2013.

It is no secret we have a waste management issues in our beloved capital city. Management issues at the City Council, now the County Council, the institution constitutionally responsible for waste collection and disposal, has contributed greatly to the sorry state of waste management in the City. However, what role do we as Nairobi citizens play? The purpose of this study was to help understand people’s perception of waste and it’s management.

The study was conducted to gauge how well informed Nairobi residents are on matters of waste management and also their attitudes towards waste. It has become very common to see piles of trash all over the city and when we receive heavy rains, streets flood making them impassable and traffic a nightmare. During the rainy season last year, the brand new Thika highway flooded after a spate of heavy rains. Social media was awash with complaints towards the Chinese construction company that won the tender to build the highway. A few however, wondered if it was drivers and pedestrians habit of throwing trash on the road that was the cause

“In this case, we must acknowledge our own responsibility for our flooded roads and leave the Chinese out of it. We cannot live first-class lives without developing first-class habits!” (Atwoli, 2013)

It is events like these that led us to carry out a mini study on Nairobi citizen’s perceptions of waste.

How many of us take responsibility for the waste suffocating our city? If not ourselves, who then do we point fingers at? According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), only 40% of total generated waste in urban centers reaches designated dumping areas. More than half (61%) of waste is generated by residents while 20% is from industries; meaning we the residents are responsible for the bulk of waste generated in Nairobi. It is estimated that by 2020, the waste generated in Nairobi daily will be approximately 5400 tones from the current 2,500 to 3,000 tons per day. If not dealt with adequately now, the issue is bound to get worse in the future.


How long does it take to biodegrade?
Summary of Results

From the findings it was clear the sampled city residents are fairly knowledgeable on issues related to waste management, however, less than 50% had knowledge on recycling of waste materials. There was little concern and or knowledge of where our waste goes among responders; only 36% indicated they knew where their waste ends up. Majority of the responders, regardless of their knowledge of where waste goes, said Dandora was the final destination. This is despite the fact it was declared full 13 years ago and is a health and environmental hazard, especially to those who live around it.

While most of our respondents agreed that everyone is responsible for waste generation, 88% placed waste management responsibility on the County Council, formerly City Council of Nairobi, and only a few took personal responsibility . Apart from blaming the whole system set up (public structures that deal with waste management), people also viewed culture and ignorance as a cause of Nairobi’s poor waste management. When it came to consequences of waste mismanagement, health was cited as the greatest concern among survey respondents as well as pollution and aesthetics. Perceptions of waste management differed slightly among age groups and economic class levels; older responders seemed more awareness while residents from low income areas took more responsibility.

Although this study was not fully representative, it gave a glimpse of how residents of Nairobi relate to waste. From the results, we recommend creating awareness on the waste disposal cycle and its benefits, especially among the youth. More encouragement of private sector and community based organizations to participate in waste management is also highly recommended. Exploring and expanding job creation opportunities in this field will go a long way in dealing with proper disposal and recycling of waste.


Waste Cycle

Education, especially in Primary schools, would also encourage participation in waste management so as to encourage early responsible behavior and active engagement with key players. We all need to be involved in the collection, disposal and recycling of our waste as this will also go a long way in keeping the institutions involved on their toes.

Regardless of all steps taken to deal with waste in the city, the biggest impact will be felt when residents take more responsibility in managing their own waste and demanding waste be disposed of in an effective, responsible way that protects the health of both the environment and the people that depend on it.

**Stay tuned for the full report to be published at a later date.
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Food Security: Are Our Diets Sustainable?

REPORT FROM FOOD SECURITY AND ADAPTATION CONFERENCE 2013 AT UNITED NATIONS GIGIRI.
By Phena Nyamulu.



August 26th, 2013.

SPEAKERS

● Mr. Mounkalia Goumanadakoye, the Regional Director and 

Representative, UNEP Regional Office for Africa.

● Mr. Modibo Traore, FAO Representative to the AU and UNECA.

● Dr. Tony Simons, Director General World Agro forestry Centre 

(ICRAF).

INTRODUCTION

Africa’s vulnerability to climate change impacts have been underscored by the severe droughts experienced in Sahel in 2012 and the Horn of Africa in 2011. Its population is expected to constitute about 23% of the global population by 2050 hence placing a huge demand on the government and states to provide opportunities for enough food and new dietary demands. The challenge therefore is charting new pathways to eliminate food insecurity, adapt to the changing climate and build sustainable systems. There is need therefore for a paradigm shift towards Sustainable development goals to replace the millennium development goals after 2015, which will serve multiple purposes and provide cross cutting benefits to Africa and the rest of the world.

In 2008, 1.3 million people in rural areas and 3.5 to 4 million people in Urban Areas were food insecure in Africa. Therefore, Achieving food security is unmanageable without climate smart practices that not only support farmers produce enough food to meet people’s needs but also preserve ecosystems from degradation. Approaches with the potential for informing and guiding policy and practices are imperative. One of these approaches is the Ecosystem Based Approaches which provide flexible, cost effective and broadly applicable alternatives for building robust food systems on less inputs, and reduces the impacts of climate change.

The question therefore should be what is the meaning of food security? And how can the emerging Ecosystem Based approaches in addressing food shortages be consolidated and scaled up? What scale of production is appropriate to do this? Below are some conference highlights and possible solutions going forward.



HIGHLIGHTS AND THE WAY FORWARD

● States and Governments should allocate budgets for food security in their strategic plans.

● There is need for monitoring and evaluating the allocated funds from Governments and donors.

● There is need for transboundary cooperation between countries to upscale Agribusiness in promoting businesses of large scale and small scale farmers.

● Organization of farmer into groups at grass root level to enhance self funded projects instead of depending for funds from donors.

● Upscale training among young people to make them understand that farming is a business and not a punishment.

● The gap between science and research should be addressed to create an understanding on what has been researched on and what needs to be done.

● In terms of funding, BOT, BOS, BOL mechanisms should be used to be able to access funding for projects.

● Form a resource management board to manage finance in Africa (Regional and continental)

● Mainstream EBA into the school curriculum starting from the elementary level to the University level.

● Integrate robust early warning systems in order to utilize the benefits of EBA.

● Pursue Sustainable Development Goals Agenda to mainstream policies and financial mechanisms.

● Apply mitigation practices in initiating resource management and sustainable farming practices in order to curb GHG emissions into the atmosphere.

● Incorporate the post-harvest methods into the EBA to achieve a food secure nation.

● Set up institutions that mainstream sustainable practices in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

● Take conferences on food security to the rural areas to educate farmers to educate them on EBA to apply on their farms.

● Use regional blocks to ensure donor funds trickle down to communities.

To learn more about the conference and its proceedings go to http: //www.foodsec.aaknet.org/
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Climate Change: What Does That Really Mean?



According to the World Bank June 19, 2013


As the coastal cities of Africa and Asia expand, many of their poorest residents are being pushed to the edges of livable land and into the most dangerous zones for climate change. Their informal settlements cling to riverbanks and cluster in low-lying areas with poor drainage, few public services, and no protection from storm surges, sea-level rise, and flooding.
These communities – the poor in coastal cities and on low-lying islands – are among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change and the least able to marshal the resources to adapt, a new report finds. They face a world where climate change will increasingly threaten the food supplies of Sub-Saharan Africa and the farm fields and water resources of South Asia and South East Asia within the next three decades, while extreme weather puts their homes and lives at risk.
A new scientific report commissioned by the World Bank and released on June 19, explores the risks to lives and livelihoods in these three highly vulnerable regions.Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience (Read it in Issuu, Scribd, and Open Knowledge Repository) takes the climate discussion to the next level, building on a 2012 World Bank report that concluded from a global perspective that without a clear mitigation strategy and effort, the world is headed for average temperatures 4 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times, by the end of this century.

Small number, big problem
Communities around the world are already feeling the impacts of climate change today, with the planet only 0.8 ºC warmer than in pre-industrial times. Many of us could experience the harsher impacts of a 2ºC warmer world within our lifetimes – 20 to 30 years from now – and  4ºC is likely by the end of the century without global action.
The report lays out what these temperature increases will look like, degree-by-degree, in each targeted region and the damage anticipated for agricultural production, coastal cities, and water resources.
“The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2°C – warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years – that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones," said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. "In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth's temperature.”
The report, based on scientific analysis by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics, uses advanced computer simulations to paint the clearest picture of each region’s vulnerabilities. It describes the risks to agriculture and livelihood security in Sub-Saharan Africa; the rise in sea-level, loss of coral reefs and devastation to coastal areas likely in South East Asia; and the fluctuating water resources in South Asia that can lead to flooding in some areas and water scarcity in others, as well as affecting power supply.
“The second phase of this report truly reiterates our need to bring global attention to the tasks necessary to hold warming to 2ºC,” said Rachel Kyte, the Bank’s vice president for sustainable development. “Our ideas at the World Bank have already been put into practice as we move forward to assist those whose lives are particularly affected by extreme weather events.”
Open Quotes
The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2°C – warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years – that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. Close Quotes
Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group
Jim Yong KimPresident, World Bank Group
Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the researchers found food security will be the overarching challenge, with dangers from droughts, flooding, and shifts in rainfall.
Between 1.5°C-2°C warming, drought and aridity, will contribute to farmers losing  40-80 percent of cropland conducive to growing maize, millet, and sorghum by the 2030s-2040s, the researchers found.
In a 4°C warmer world, around the 2080s, annual precipitation may decrease by up to 30 percent in southern Africa, while East Africa will see more rainfall, according to multiple studies. Ecosystem changes to pastoral lands, such as a shift from grass to woodland savannas as levels of carbon dioxide increase, could reduce food for grazing cattle.
In South East Asia, coastal cities will be under intense stress due to climate change.
A sea-level rise of 30 cm, possible by 2040 if business as usual continues, would cause massive flooding in cities and inundate low-lying cropland with saltwater corrosive to crops. Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a global rice producer, is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise.  A 30 cm sea-level rise there could result in the loss of about 11 percent of crop production. At the same time, storm intensity is likely to increase.
The study also describes rising ocean acidity leading to the loss of coral reefs and the benefits they provide as fish habitats, protection against storms, and revenue-generators in the form of tourism.  Warmer water temperatures and habitat destruction could also lead to a 50 percent decrease in the ocean fish catch in the southern Philippines, the report says.
Water scarcity in some areas and overabundance of water in others are the hallmarks of climate change in South Asia, the researchers found.
Inconsistences in the monsoon season and unusual heat extremes will affect crops. Loss of snow melt from the Himalayas will reduce the flow of water into the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra basins. Together, they threaten to leave hundreds of millions of people without enough water, food, or access to reliable energy. Bangladesh and the Indian cities of Kolkata and Mumbai will be confronted with increased flooding, intense cyclones, sea-level rise, and warming temperatures. 
World Bank’s response
In his first year as president of the World Bank, Jim Kim has raised the profile of climate change in speeches and in conversations with leaders around the world, as well as within the institution. The Bank is currently working with 130 countries on climate change; it doubled its lending for adaptation to $4.6 billion in 2012 and put $7.1 billion into mitigation, in addition to its work with carbon finance and the Climate Investment Funds; and it now includes climate change in all country assessments.
The Bank is also developing a Climate Management Action Plan, informed by theTurn Down the Heat reports, to direct its future work and finance through a climate lens. Among other things, the Bank will:
•             Help countries develop strategic plans and investment pipelines that integrate the risks and opportunities of climate change.
•             Provide the tools that countries and cities need to better assess and adapt to climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions tracking, energy use and efficiency assessments, and assessments of resilience.
•             Create best practices and norms through its projects for making infrastructure resilient, not just today but decades into the future.
•             Use its convening power, financial leverage and targeted climate funds to increase support for clean energy, low-carbon development, and climate resilience.
In order to help countries build resilience, the Bank will prioritize the most vulnerable areas, manage water availability and extremes, and increase its efforts to meet growing food demand. It will work with the world’s largest emitters to lower their impact through carbon emissions and short-lived climate pollutants. Its specialists are working on ways to help governments end fossil fuel subsidies while protecting the poor, connect global carbon markets, and make agriculture and cities climate-smart and resilient.
 “I do not believe the poor are condemned to the future scientists envision in this report,” Kim said. “We are determined to work with countries to find solutions.”
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Food Security: Full Planet, Changing Climate, Empty Plates…



The world population is estimated to be 7.017 billion, according to the United States Census Bureau in March 12 2012 Report. The UN Population Division estimated that by 2050, the global population is projected to be between 8.3 billion and 10.9 Billion.

What does this mean for Africa?

That out of the 7.017 billion, it is the second most populated continent following Asia with its 4.2 billion inhabitants accounting for over 60% of the world’s population and 15% of the world’s population which is close to one billion people is from Africa.

Map showing urban areas with at least one million inhabitants in 2006. Only 3% of the world's population lived in cities in 1800; this proportion had risen to 47% by 2000, and reached 50.5% by 2010.[47] By 2050, the proportion may reach 70%.[48]
20th August 2013 Marked the Earth Overshoot Day, The approximate date our resource
consumption for a given year exceeds the planets ability to replenish. The Earth Overshoot day arrives a few days earlier each year. This is but a minuscule indicator of how dire the food situation is globally.

Population growth will greatly increase the amount of food needed to adequately feed sub Saharan Africa’s people. Sub Sahara Population is projected to reach to 2 billion people in 2050. 

Why is Africa at risk?

Today, 30 million children (1 in 5) in sub-Saharan Africa are underweight – 5.5 million more than 20 years ago. In March 12 2012, statistics show that nearly 240 million people or one person in every four lack adequate food to a healthy and active life.


In 2009, Kenya's population was estimated at 38.6 million, up from 28.7 million in 1999, 21.4 million in 1989 and 15.3 million in 1979 (CBS, 1979, 1989, 1999, KNBS, 2010). Please note that a third (12.7 million) of Kenyans live in urban areas with 60-70% of those in informal settlements, where land is scarce and the environmental conditions tolerable at best, causing 35% of children under the age of five years to be stunted, 16% underweight and 7% to be wasted. [Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2009].

How Secure is our food supply considering the number of people that need to be fed?
What measures are being put forward to adapt to the changing climate? What measures are being put forward to prepare for the future? Watch the following trailer to the documentary: Future of Food.



Will we continue to waste food because we know we can afford it? What is the government doing to make sure their population's food supply is secure? 
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