Feature: Elderly Kenyans suffer from negative impacts of climate change

The torrential rains that pounded Nairobi over the week brought anguish and frustration to Joseph Waweru and his elderly peers in the sprawling Korogocho slums.

As the rains reached a climax, the already overstretched sewers in Korogocho slums burst, and Waweru's one-bedroom shack became inhabitable due to flooding.

The 85-year-old father of seven and his equally ageing wife became victims of El-Nino rains pounding most parts of Kenya, tearing apart the comfort and serenity of vulnerable populations.

Waweru's ramshackle dwelling, located at the heart of Korogocho slums, epitomizes deprivation and neglect that affect many elderly Kenyans.

Climatic shocks that have become a regular phenomenon have taken a heavier toll on Waweru and his elderly colleagues in the densely populated slum.

During an interview with Xinhua on Saturday, Waweru revealed how the ongoing El-Nino rains have taken a toll on his livelihood and health.

"Even before the rains peaked later this month, we had already grappled with a mild cholera outbreak in this neighborhood. It has been difficult to work outdoors due to heavy downpour," said Waweru.

Broken sewerage infrastructure in Korogocho and other Nairobi slums has exposed elderly residents to communicable diseases whenever the skies open.

Waweru said the majority of his elderly colleagues have complained of respiratory diseases as the El-Nino rains reached a climax.

"The heavy flooding in the open grounds and sometimes inside our houses has affected the health of children and elderly people in Korogocho slums. Many people have complained of chest pains and pneumonia," said Waweru.

Having lived in Nairobi for half a century, Waweru has witnessed significant changes in the capital's natural habitat.

The chairman of a community-based elders network involved in environmental conservation regretted that haphazard planning and population growth have worsened depletion of biodiversity hotspots in Nairobi.

"Back in the 60s, the rivers in Nairobi were sparkling clean and had abundant species. It is unfortunate these rivers are now an eyesore having become dumping ground for industrial waste,"Waweru told Xinhua.

His one-bedroom shack is located on the banks of Nairobi River that currently epitomizes urban pollution that has worsened against a backdrop of governance lapses and population explosion.

As the international community congregate in Paris next week to discuss and adopt a new climate treaty, the voices of the elderly and other vulnerable groups has not been amplified fully.

Kenya, like many developing countries, has grappled with devastating impacts of climate change like recurrent droughts, flooding, habitat loss and a surge in new epidemics. Senior citizens living in rural villages and urban slums have suffered disproportionately from climatic shocks.

Seventy eight-year-old Bernard Hunja noted that erratic weather patterns triggered by global warming have disrupted his livelihood and that of his extended family. The resident of Korogocho slums revealed that extreme weather events have sapped his passion to carry out urban farming.

"I have a small kitchen garden that used to feed my children and grandchildren. It is no longer the case as extreme heat or torrential rains destroy the crops,"Hunja told Xinhua, adding that weather patterns have dramatically changed over the last 40 years he has lived in Nairobi.

"In the recent years, the weather in Nairobi and other parts of the country alternate between extreme heat and cold. The rains are particularly furious and destructive,"he said.

He added that many elderly people in Korogocho slums have endured the agony of hunger and ill health due to climate related disasters.

Kenyan elderly persons have become defenseless victims of climatic vagaries while absence of robust policy and legal safeguards has only worsened their plight. Campaigners urged the government to roll out high impact interventions that enhance the capacity of senior citizens to cope with climate change.

Alfred Ejem, a Senior Programs officer at Help Age International, challenged policy makers to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies tailor-made for the elderly people.

"The government should ensure older people are included in humanitarian programming as climate change related disasters strike frequently," Ejem said. Endit