03 Jun Celebrating World Environment Day in Kenya
World Environment Day will be marked on 5th June 2022. The theme for this year is ‘Only One Earth.’ The UN General Assembly designated 5 June as World Environment Day (WED) and the day has developed as a platform to raise awareness of the problems facing our environment.
World Environment Day in Kenya
In Kenya, the celebrations shall highlight the country’s efforts in restoring ecosystems through minimizing air pollution and chemical waste, managing solid waste and wastewater, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss as well as making progress in the management of plastic pollution and marine litter.
Industrial pollution is a big problem in Kenya. The effects of industrial pollution have caused many agencies and individuals to call for living and working in an eco-friendly way. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has been at the forefront in calling for environmental protection by advocating for industries to go the Green Manufacturing way.
Green Manufacturing in Kenya is now being embraced by more organizations venturing into manufacturing via this route. Players in the manufacturing industry in Kenya are now beginning to integrate scalable low–carbon business models, mitigation measures, and strategies into their policies, and resource mobilization in a bid to go the green manufacturing way.
Re-forestation in Kenya
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) is spearheading reforestation programs to enhance forest cover in the country. The internationally recommended forest cover is 10% of the territorial surface area of any country. KFS has established the Community Forest Association aimed at promoting community involvement in forest management and ownership. Through this initiative, KFS oversees the registration of agencies and community projects to benefit from carbon credits. KFS has also introduced technologies for processing forest produce aimed at value addition.
The Plastic Menace
In managing the plastic menace in the environment, NEMA has banned the production of below 30 microns of plastic and raised the standards to 60 microns in line with the Plastics Bill under the East African Community standards. In this regard, NEMA is encouraging supermarket chains to adopt alternative packing materials that are eco-friendly. NEMA calls upon all Kenyans to reduce their own carbon footprints and contribute to a better environment.
Protecting Wildlife habitat
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) protects wildlife resources in natural habitats in national parks and reserves. Through community-based partnerships, KWS has enhanced benefits to local communities in proximity to protected areas. Eco-tourism has been promoted making communities earn from wildlife conservation.
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