ISSUE 18
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The Role of Education in Combating Climate Change
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Adaptation is the smartest thing to do and Africa needs to scale up adaptation NOW!
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Countering Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Empowerment for Climate Action Image: courtesy
ISSUE 18
Credits Executive Editor Dr. Edward Mungai
Editorial Directors Prabhakar Vanam, Ruth Ndegwa
Managing Editors
Ernest Chitechi, Kennedy Ouma
Senior Editor
Solomon Irungu N.
Editors
Pamela Okutoyi
Writers
Nyamrinda Obam, Eric Onchonga, Tobias Meso, Jacinta Atieno
Photography
KCIC Consulting Ltd and other sources Layout Levi Wanakacha and Brian Alili Image: courtesy
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Editorial Cool it. Take Climate Action!
Welcome to 2022! For so many reasons we are glad to put 2021 behind us. For Live Green magazine, in keeping with our commitment of making society aware of the need to take better care of the environment and its natural resources, we are excited to share with you the January issue of Live Green Magazine—one of several throughout the year that will help share the stories that will inspire us to do better. This issue includes a curated collection of the most impactful stories that introduce us to the importance of taking climate action. For decades now, Mother Earth has been speaking to us. It is only prudent if we listen. How do we listen? By taking urgent action. It is only through action that we can expect to find solutions to some of the greatest problems of our age, not least that of our rapidly warming climate. Whether you consume our content in the palm of your hand, on your desktop or iPad, via social media, or by escaping for a few hours with a print edition, one thing is consistent: The magazine remains a great teller of stories.
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In the year ahead, we’re planning a series of conversations with recognized business and climate experts, authors, and thought leaders. We are also planning to introduce new writers to bring to us exciting and new ideas of living a fulfilling life. Be sure to join us by subscribing to our email newsletters and following us on any number of our social channels. This way, you’ll never miss an opportunity to stay up-to-date and connected with us and our partners. We have an important task ahead of us, and will occasionally require self reflection and improvement in how we interact with the environment. It will also take time and it will cost us. Nevertheless, it is our best chance to step up and take climate action!
Enjoy the read!
Pamela Okutoyi Editor and Sustainability Communication expert
The Role of Education in Combating Climate Change By Nyamrinda Obam
Image: courtesy
The modern world faces numerous challenges; however, none matches this “beast” called CLIMATE CHANGE. It neither cares about borders nor generations, and its effects are unique and extensive globally According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate
change which is currently being witnessed will cause detrimental effects on human life and ecosystems. These effects are already being felt around the globe despite several studies indicating a continuous rise in the extent and frequency of extreme weather events. These include; heatwaves, floods, dry
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spells, typhoons, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, just to mention but a few. Increased death rates worldwide, economic breakdowns and even increased environmental losses are attributed to the above hazards primarily due to their enhanced vulnerability.
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992 during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) stated that it is essential to raise awareness about the critical climate change issues by using education.
Developing countries with rampant poor governance systems, weak education systems, inadequate healthcare are the most hit by climate change. Children and women easily fall prey to the effects of this deadly scourge. Thus, population pressure in these states is one of the factors exacerbating the impacts of climate change.
As a matter of fact, climate change education includes information about the climatic systems, climate science and the threats/impacts of climate change. It promotes climate literacy among teenagers and helps them address environmental issues and induces their ability to think critically. Climate change education also prepares youngsters to deal with the hazards experienced and respond effectively to these disasters.
As devastating as it is, climate change makes it necessary for collective, instant and profound action to be taken. Different strategies and efficient technologies need to be employed to combat climate change. Informed and educated citizens are the best weapons a country can have to enhance the mitigation and adaptation. Environmental education is, therefore, a vital component of the global response to climate change. It is one of the practical tools that will prepare communities to combat the climate change menace. United Nations
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Education motivates youth and children to take up personal mitigation actions. Change in behaviour and lifestyle towards reducing vulnerability helps them adapt to climate-related situations. In addition, effective tutoring about climate change builds up the social will in leaders to design effective policies. Students are also inspired to consider their responsibility to participate in climate actions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transforming communities to ratify more sustainable policies and structures.
Government officials, especially those involved in policy formulation, through climate change education, are facilitated to make decisions that result in more resilient communities. Climate change education offers knowledge and expertise necessary to amend lifestyle and social structures to become more resilient, increase energy efficiency, decrease ecological footprint, change consumption and production patterns, and build adaptive capacity and resilient societies. Education plays a vital role in global economic growth characterized by low greenhouse gas emissions. This principle gained new momentum with the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2015 because of its audacious
emission reduction goals. Heads of UNESCO and UNFCC all agree that integrating climate education into the education sector provides citizens with the skills necessary to flourish a new sustainable economy. This will enable citizens to work towards; renewable energy, smart agriculture, forest rehabilitation, design resource-efficient cities, green spaces in urban hoods and sound management of healthy ecosystems. It is crucial to note that climate change education transforms human thinking, action, and discharge of responsibilities towards one another and the planet.
The writer is a climate justice activist and the founder of Climate Powers. obamnyamrinda@gmail.com
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Adaptation is the smartest thing to do and Africa needs to scale up adaptation NOW! By Eric Onchonga,
Covid 19 pandemic has shown us just how devastating a global pandemic can be. Climate change is no different. We are experiencing extreme weather conditions including excess floods, excess droughts, excess landslides, all indicating that our climate is changing. Over the last decade nearly four billion people suffered climate related disasters. That devastation will only grow if we don’t consider adaptation. Today, the animals are disappearing, the rivers are dying, and our plants don’t flower like they did before. Our planet is talking to us and is telling us something. We must listen. The November 2021 Conference of Parties (COP 26) for the UN Climate Change Conference brought together millions of voices from all over the world and they all agreed time is all we’re left with to fight climate change. And that time is now. The science is clear, we must keep the goal of 1.5 degree celsius alive. This requires great ambition on mitigation and immediate concrete
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action to reduce global emissions by 45% by 2030 Developing countries need far greater resources to fight climate change, to give resilience and pursue sustainable developments. They need urgent funding, more public climate finance, more overseas development aid, more grants, easy access to funding. In the wake of climate action, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank partnered on a joint mission to accelerate climate adaptation. Under the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), a project built on 4 pillars: Agriculture, Infrastructure, Youth and innovative financial institutions, the duo helped 20 African entrepreneurs scale their businesses. Our company Irri-Hub Ke is already a beneficiary of this program under the youth pillar. The challenge, YouthADAPT, sought to inspire and support commercialisation of climate change adaptation solutions driven by African youth entrepreneurs. Our
climate smart water harvesting and drip technology was recognised for a $ 100000 grant for addressing real life challenges and accelerating climate adaptation and resilience in Africa. In addition, our company has an opportunity to participate in a 12-month business accelerator program to help us scale our business. Kenya’s climate innovation center, which is the implementing partner for
the AAAP, has been a great pillar to our company. Through their mission of increasing commercialisation and scaling up climate smart innovations, it has encouraged us to deliver great impact and do more to protect vulnerable communities from the clear and present effect of climate change and has empowered us to create more sustainable jobs for women and youth.
Eric Onchonga is the CEO of Irri-Hub Ke
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Image: courtesy
Countering Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Tobias Meso
The greatest threat to human survival right now is climate change. Climate change occurs due to emissions of greenhouse gases that increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Reducing these carbon emissions may seem complicated and futile, especially to individuals who feel insignificant since actions may be beyond grasp. However, the truth is that a large percentage of these emissions come from transport and energy supply and other factors like deforestation and our houses. Our daily activities have a more significant adverse effect on the planet than most people perceive. This is mainly through what we eat, purchase and use in our households.
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Reducing carbon dioxide emissions entails several choices and ambitious actions. These can be undertaken on both individual and national levels to reduce the negative impact on the environment. What’s more? These actions are budget-friendly and very practical. They aid in making the carbon footprint smaller and count a lot in achieving a net-zero carbon emission. Switching to renewable energy like solar plays a crucial role in conserving the use of electricity in a household; it is considered the better alternative. Though the installation may require some layout of cash, it pays out in the end. Compared to electricity, solar energy is way cheaper and conserves much energy.
When buying new appliances, what should you look out for? Select the energy-efficient models. They may cost a little more than the rest, but long term saving is definitely worth it. Unplug devices when not in use. Many of these appliances continue to draw power even after being switched off. So, if a device is not in use, unplug it; this reduces your carbon footprint. Did you know that you save one pound of carbon emissions for every mile you walk or cycle? A fascinating fact that should change lifestyles. Inefficient conversion of plant energy to animal energy also results in a large carbon print in foods like meat. So going vegetarian once or twice a week should go a long way in reducing carbon emissions. Another way is reducing, reusing and recycling. It is the simplest way to counter the release of greenhouse gases into the environment through resource extraction, transportation storage and disposal. But, of course, in the case of decaying waste and you have enough space, one can always compost. How can the government help? Governments should tax emissions of greenhouse gases by placing a high price to control the release
of carbon into the atmosphere. In addition, subsidies for fossil fuels, especially coal, should be eliminated as they distort energy pricing, causing overconsumption and hindering investment in renewable energy sources. Also, our leaders should aim to reduce risks and promote lowcarbon energy market development through the endorsement of subsidized loans. Financial support is needed to effectively deliver clean energy access to populations in the most remote places. Different agencies offering help to counter climate impacts ought to come together to avoid fragmentation of climate finance. These finances should fund mitigation and adaptation practices that align with the UNs sustainable development goals. As noted, measures to reduce carbon emissions will only result in positive climate change underpinned by national and regional policy planning, individual self-driven initiatives and effective governance. Moreover, a great deal absolutely depends on effective monitoring and tracking of emissions. Undoubtedly, climate change is real, and failure to counter its effects will negatively impact the planet.
The writer is a staff writer at KCIC Consulting tobias.meso@kcicconsulting.com
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Empowerment for Climate Action
Image: courtesy
By Jacinta Atieno
Accelerating climate change risks poses severe challenges to developing nations’ progress towards achieving their development goals. For a sustainable future to become a reality, every citizen needs to comprehend the importance of climate action. Many countries that joined the Paris Agreement on climate change have committed to empowering climate action by building resilience from the national to the local level to incorporate climate change adaptation objectives into sectoral policies and plans.
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Some of the significant areas national governments are using to empower climate action include: • International cooperation • Education • Training • Public awareness • Public participation • Public access to information International cooperation and exchange serve a significant role in strengthening action on climate change. Many governments, organizations, and relevant
stakeholders worldwide require access to financial and technical resources to develop ideas to create climate change initiatives and programmes. On the other hand, education has sought to achieve crucial changes in understanding the need to counter climate change, particularly among young people. This has mainly been promoted by including climate change in school curricula at all levels across different disciplines. In addition, efforts have been made to develop materials that widely put across information on climate change and promote teacher training based on the same. Results of a successful programme will absolutely be a population deeply committed to positively impacting climate change. To smoothly transit to greener economies and a sustainable climateresilient future, a lot of training is required. Training programmes provide the technical know-how and knowledge needed to help counter the effects of climate change. It is simply learning by doing, and all organizations, communities and individuals can equally benefit from it. Public awareness campaigns aim to engage all individuals in a community in the joint effort required to implement national and international climate change policies. Non-governmental organizations,
government organizations, intergovernmental organizations and community-based agencies have been at the forefront to launch awareness programs to change behaviours and attitudes of people to those that foster positive climate change. Public participation motivates individuals to pay close attention to policy making. Therefore, people can participate freely in climate change decision-making and put to action climate mitigation and adaptation activities. As a result, people play an active role in championing climate change. Lastly, ensuring that information, data and statistics on climate change are readily available improves the engagement of citizens in various climate programs. Climate information can be facilitated by technologies such as the internet. This aids in the creation and implementation of effective policies. Together, these are crucial for effectively empowering climate change and implementing climate adaptation and mitigation actions. Therefore, empowerment for climate change mitigation and adaptation is the main driver for developing a nation’s vision, goal, and objective for mainstreaming climate risks so that development can be climate-resilient.
Jacinta is a freelance writer
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Sustainable Farming with Hydroponics Africa Limited By Christiane Amare Lemma
Sustainable farming has become the frontier of the growing agricultural sector by promoting innovative resources and technologies in farm activities. Hydroponics Africa Limited, an advocate of sustainable farming, utilizes a hydroponic technology that decreases the amount of water needed to grow healthy plants. Hydroponic systems use 80% less water than traditional farming methods through their use of a nutrient mineral solution rather than pure soil. This allows farmers and households to grow crops even in water-scarce regions. The technology is also very beneficial
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to farmers working in areas that do not have the ideal soil incubation and PH levels. Hydroponics Africa Limited aims to distribute hydroponic systems in Kenya, especially in regions that do not have ideal plant growth conditions. The company has already embarked on this by implementing projects like the “Securing Water for Food” project, through which they were able to install hydroponic systems to 4,000 households. This project focused on households in rural areas, informal settlements, and refugee camps and
it achieved significant impact, saving millions of litres of water, with a total yield of over 700,000 kg of produce.
the technology, especially among farmers who prefer traditional farming methods.
Through another project that Hydroponics implemented in Northern Sudan, the company supported internally displaced people by installing over 300 hydroponic systems. Households organized themselves into groups and received between 10-15 hydroponic systems to grow vegetables for their consumption and business. As a result, these households were able to earn additional income and get fresh produce for their own consumption. Hydroponics Africa Limited continues to support these users in maintaining the systems as well as supply the users with nutrients and shade nets.
Kenya Climate Ventures Limited (KCV) has provided capital to the company to enable the company to scale. Following this support, Hydroponics Africa Limited has seen its revenue increase five-fold. The company has also received technical support and business growth advisory to fine-tune its business strategies and increase operational efficiencies.
Despite the benefits of hydroponics technology, Hydroponics Africa Limited still faces a number of challenges as a business. Dr. Peter Chege, the CEO and Founder of Hydroponics Africa Limited, indicated that some of the key challenges facing the business include finding affordable capital to scale the business across the county and beyond; finding optimal distribution points to place their agronomists; limited access to capital by farmers to buy and maintain the hydroponic systems as well as low uptake of
Going forward, Hydroponics Africa Limited plans to distribute hydroponic systems in five arid and semi-arid counties and increase the productivity of farmers in these counties. The company also plans to connect farmers to markets for the products that the farmers produce using hydroponic systems; increase the company’s efficiency in distributing hydroponic systems; partner with value addition companies and explore opportunities beyond the borders of Kenya in countries such as Sudan, Congo and Rwanda. Hydroponics Africa Limited is becoming a frontier in inventive farming with its ambitious plans, innovative farming technologies and aspirations to build a sustainable business.
Christiane is a communication intern at KCV
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Development Communication: Driving impact and success Editorial
The state of communication in the development space is not very impressive. Most organizations communicate their reports, impacts, findings and what they do, only internally and also to their partners or donors. This could be limiting since larger target groups would benefit from divulging data. In addition, potential partners interested in what these organizations do are left in the
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dark. Therefore, organizations need to associate themselves with partners who can map out audiences and develop platforms for disseminating information that is interpreted and packed desirably for absorption by a wide array of people. As the year progresses, businesses and organizations have already set up their strategic plans to achieve their goals and deliverables at the end of the
year. Development communication should come in as an essential tool they will need to communicate their impact effectively and achieve more. This can only be achieved by applying superlative communication strategies through using the language and tools that are desirable for adoption and dissemination. Development communication is about focusing on the needs of the majority before self to achieve sustainable impacts. KCIC Consulting Limited (KCL) is at the forefront of helping organizations to communicate their impact. We offer development communication services by developing communication strategies that are sustainable, impactful, beneficial and have continuity in terms of their programmes. According to the Head of Development Communication, Kennedy Ouma, “Organizations should care about development communication because of the multiplier effect. If you touch the lives of 10 people and communicate that impact, it will indirectly impact a million others” he affirms.
communication is clearly put into perspective. He ardently states engaging in development communication is a tool towards success. Organizations need to embed it into the DNA of what they do. “You have not yet made an impact with your business until you have communicated about what you are doing and how you are doing it”, he added. Communicating your impact gives your audience a chance to interact with your activities and quickly bring them on board. KCL recognises that communication is the driver of today’s society and employs best practices to develop bespoke solutions. By tracking the outcome and reporting of the same and, most importantly, keeping your business sustainable and moving forward.
Therefore, companies that wish to foster their impact on society, clients, and even potential partners should consider Development communication.
The importance of organizations to focus on Development
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Ukulima Tech
Solar panel installation
Justice Miller the business development manager of Sunken Limited with Andrew Ted Onguka a farmer who uses the Sunken solar water pump for horticulture and farming at Siaya county, pumping water from the well for irrigation.
Kuni safi factory workers insecting briquettes.
Images by: Regina Komi
Ansim Co founder showcasing amount of eggs they collect for sale from her farm.
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Tawakal Farmers Marketing Cooperative storing fresh camel milk at their shop in Isiolo.
Gritty Pigs founder Benson Mwirigi feeding his pigs at his farm in Meru.
Catching fish demo at Shibe Delta.
Beatrice feeding her cows in her farm in Meru County.
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Images by: Regina Komi
Drying process at Juakali NyirNyir in Isiolo.
ISSUE 18
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A publication of Kenya Climate Innovation Center. Strathmore Business School Building, 3rd Floor, Ole Sangale Road, Madaraka, PO Box 49162 – 00200, Nairobi, Kenya. (+254) 703 034 701 www.kenyacic.org | communication@kenyacic.org