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Protect water bodies, Kenya Government urged By Ben onyasimi
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Non Governmental Organization, Mult y-Touch International (MTI) has challenged the government to formulate necessary policies to protect Kenya’s water bodies from deleterious economic practices that do not regard river bank protection. The organization said should the government fail to act climate change and increased water demand in future will present a challenge to the countr y as it will lead to frequent conflicts. MTI representative Daniel Muturi said there was an urgent need for relevant government institutions to enforce policies to protect Kenya’s water bodies among them lakes and rivers as a means of fighting extreme poverty especially in rural areas. He said Kenya like many African countries was mourning the loss of many lives due to a number of factors like the deadly HIV virus, poverty, drought and malaria among other things. These factors, he fur ther noted contributed to Kenya’s dreadfully low life expectancy rate of 47 years, one of the lowest in the world. Speaking in Nairobi at a function where he distributed tree seedlings, Muturi observed that Kenya like most developing countries was experiencing serious depletion of its natural resources, leading to environmental degradation like pollution of rivers, water logging and salinity. This, he said has led to increment of water borne human and livestock diseases.
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He said concerted efforts were necessary for combating extreme indicators of past breakdown in policy formulations and implementations, leading to draught, hunger and eventual death of both humans and animals. He said global communities have a collective responsibility in conserving and enhancing the environment at all costs, as it’s a requirement for the well being of all. MTI boss further observed that in Kenya, where little of the country’s folks hydro- power potential has been developed, climate change simulations for the seven folks hydro-electric scheme on the Tana River has projected a significant reduction in the river flows and declining power production. He said there was need for the government to work hand in hand with relevant stakeholders to slow-down siltation of sevenf o l k d a m s t h a t we re ve r y imperative for hydro- electric power generation in Kenya as well as the conservation of water aquifers. He said MTI was currently designing projects that will bring about environmental rehabilitation and protection and at the same time empower communities and citizens through a multi-disciplinary approach to environmental conservation. M u l t y - To u c h I n t e r n a t i o n a l (MTI) is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in Nairobi, Kenya. Its foundation is geared towards assisting the Kenyan population to identify and utilize available natural resources and raising awareness of environmental conservation■
EnviroConserveAFRICA May/July 2009
Nature Uganda marks 100 years
N
ature Uganda, a branch of the East Africa National History Society (EANHS) in Uganda, recently celebrated 100 years of existence, making it the oldest conservation agency in the country.
Weaver bird at Ngamba Island Lake Victoria
The society was formed in 1909 by scientists, naturalists, professional hunters and other groups with interest in nature living in the then British East Africa (presently Kenya and Uganda) .Their main objective was documentation of wildlife diversity.
environmental education, action and management, among others. Achilles Byaruhanga, the Executive Director, says although the agency has celebrated 100 years, the political instability of the 1970s and 1980s held back progress.
Today, Nature Uganda is a member-based organization that actively participates in the study of nature and implementation of conservation activities. The organization delivers its conservation activities through advocacy for conservation, monitoring important sites,
He said a key achievement of the agency has been the identification of Important Bird Areas as key conservation areas in the country. Nature Uganda has been and still is at the forefront of wetland conservation in the country with the number of Ramsar Sites increasing to 10 from two in 1989■
DR Congo, Uganda in power deal
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ganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo will soon share electricity following the endorsement of an energy exchange project by presidents Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila in March. The project seeks to improve the living conditions of the people, based on the availability of affordable electric energy and access by the communities to electricity through increased cross border trade. The two leaders agreed, among other things to undertake joint oil exploration, extend power from Kasese to DR Congo towns of Beni, Butembo and Rubandi as well as to upgrade diplomatic missions to ambassadorial level. At one of the sessions, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Executive Director, Ms. Henriette Ndombe gave an overview of NBI.
DRC President H.E. Joseph Kabila
She informed senior government officials of the two states that NBI has received about Ushs 6 billion for a wider regional Interconnection Project, from the African Development Bank (ADB). The Interconnection of Electric Grids of Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries consists of the construction and upgrading of 769km of 220 KV power lines and 17 transformer stations to interconnect the electric grids of Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda■
