Roundup: Climate change, a thorn in flesh of the Kenyan economy

Intensifying climatic variation and shifts associated with global warming have forced Kenya's government agencies to review their policies to include communities, as the change in nature has serious implications for people and the economy of the country.

Kenya's tourism sector contributes 12 percent of Kenya's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 80 percent of tourism depends on wildlife.

But like other key economic sectors in the country, as depicted by variations in weather patterns, unpredictable levels of water in lakes and rivers, frequent and prolonged drought and floods, courtesy of unpredictable climate change, all is not well in the industry.

These occurrences have adverse impacts on the Kenyan economy and livelihoods of the population which largely depends on natural resources such as water, land, plants and animals.

"Extended droughts affect the pattern and distribution of wildlife as they move in search of pasture as predators too, also move in search of prey. In the course of these movements predators attack livestock leading to human wildlife conflicts," Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Spokesman Paul Mbugua told Xinhua in an interview.

He noted that wildlife and tourism sectors, which support a large proportion of the GDP, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The climate shifts have in recent years forced KWS to take drastic action to preserve the stunning scenery and wildlife that have drawn millions of tourists to the East African country, bringing vital revenue and providing thousands of jobs.

"Where we have more rains, flooding sometimes occur and displaces plains animals. Vegetation changes also occur sometimes, giving room to invasive species of plants that are not useful to the animals that use the range," he added.

Mbugua observed that the unpredictable weather patterns indicate that it is not possible to predict the movements of wildlife hence the difficulty of putting in measures to minimize human wildlife conflicts.

In an effort to help save the worsening situation, KWS has put in place some climate change mitigation measures, including mechanical removal of invasive species which had invaded some parks thereby reducing available pasture.

In Lake Nakuru, for example, invasive species plant which has invaded the park thereby reducing available pasture is being removed mechanically.

The removal of Solanum incarnum has a net effect of increasing areas available for wildlife to forage thus keeping wildlife in the park.

According to Mbugua, tourists benefit from this as they derive more satisfaction as wildlife is readily available for them to see.

In other parks such as Amboseli, Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Aberdares effort are being made to reclaim degraded areas by replanting them with the natural vegetation.

Provision of water in and outside the parks is also being done to check the distribution of both wildlife and livestock in the ecosystem.

But Mbugua noted that even though climate change has contributed to wildlife human conflict, it is not to blame entirely for the conflicts since interactions between human and wildlife are not new.

"They have been with us for a long time and climate change is just contributing albeit in a significant way to increase the same, " he added.

Climate change is however aggravating poaching activity as poachers are able to get to these animals when they leave their normal range in search of pasture.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) assessment report, deep water temperatures of Lake Victoria have warmed by 0.2 to 0.7 degree Centigrade since the early 1900s.

In the western Indian Ocean region, a 30 percent loss of corals reduced tourism in the coastal city of Mombasa and resulted in financial losses of about 12-18 million U.S. dollars in 1998.

Mangroves and coral reefs, the main coastal ecosystems in Africa, are being affected by climate change as marine turtles and migratory birds are already at risk.

Previously malaria-free highland areas like in the Rift Valley are today prone to malaria epidemic and already many people die from the disease annually.

According to Mithika Mwenda, the Coordinator Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), climate change is already having a significant impact on food availability in most parts of the country.

"Climate change poses a significant risk of increased crop failure, loss of livestock and impact on local food security," he revealed.

He noted that in some areas drier and warmer conditions are predicted by weather experts, elsewhere wetter conditions are expected and affect agriculture practices.

It will affect human health and livelihoods, as well as people's purchasing power, food markets and food security on a household level.

He said that over reliance on rain-fed agriculture is risky, given that rainfall pattern is highly vulnerable to changes in climate variability, seasonal shifts, and precipitation patterns.

Forest's role of purifying the air, improving water quality, keeping soils intact, providing food, wood products and medicines, and are home to many of the world's most endangered wildlife is too under pressure from climate change.

Unfortunately, forests are being destroyed or damaged at an alarming rate by logging and burning to clear land for agriculture or livestock.

According to Dr. Isaiah Nyandega of the University of Nairobi's Geography Department, warmer climatic variation and shifts associated with global warming cause thunderstorms that cause massive flooding in the lower regions of the country.

He noted that areas such as Budalangi in Western Kenya and Tana Delta in the Coastal receive floods annually because people have moved and settled in water causeway hence causing some forest destruction.

"The settlements have blocked water runways and during thunderstorms, the soil cannot hold water further as they have no moisture holding capacity yet the water must run down to the Lake, " he added.

Nyandega noted that with such kind of flooding, farmers are unable to utilize the water well as it comes at a wrong time in their calendar of activities hence affecting their economy and that of the country.

"The change in nature has serious implications for people and our economic system as a whole," Nyandega observed.

He revealed that climate change will have major and unpredictable effects on the country's water systems, including more floods and droughts.

"Extremes of drought and flooding will become more common, causing displacement, conflict and less fresh water that is likely to affect food production and people's income," he added.

Wildlife is the cornerstone of Kenya's tourism sector, an essential source of foreign exchange and a major contributor to GDP and has the potential to contribute further to the well being of the people of Kenya.

Kenya was one of the first African countries to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in 1968. At present, Kenya has six marine parks and reserves accounting for about 1 percent of the entire protected area network.

Currently, there are proposals to establish community-based marine conservation areas in the Tana Delta and the Lamu archipelago in the coastal region.

The government has since launch the National Climate Change Action Plan awaiting the National Climate Change policy to be enacted. A draft policy exists and is awaiting presidential ascent to become official. Endi

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