Chinese, Kenyan experts to share findings on ecosystem management

Experts from China and Kenya's major institutions are due to meet in the Kenyan capital Nairobi next Tuesday to share key findings on sustainable ecosystem management and climate change adaptation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said Saturday.

UNEP said in a statement that low-cost technologies which can reduce the cost of providing safe drinking water to rural Kenyans by 50 percent will be shared at the gathering.

Some findings and insights from the pan-regional UNEP-China- Africa Cooperation Programme on Environment will be a national master plan for rainwater harvesting in Kenya, according to the statement.

"The programme enlisted the expertise of 20 Chinese academic institutions, and dozens of African universities and research institutions across 16 African countries, to demonstrate the positive impacts of new low-cost technologies, training, and experimentation, on sustainable ecosystem management and climate change adaptation," UNEP said.

The diverse range of projects will also showcase technologies for combating desertification.

According to the UNEP, it is estimated that by 2030, between 75 and 250 million Africans will live in areas of high water stress, which could result in a crop yield decrease of 23 percent.

"Enhancing African capacities to address serious environmental challenges is critical to ensuring that Africa's natural resource base can meet the needs of the continent's growing population," UNEP said

Under the initiative, Chinese experts will train hundreds across the continent in cost-saving, sustainable land management, rainwater harvesting and dry-land agriculture. Endi