Kenya launches environmental guidelines to address social needs

Kenya on Tuesday launched new guidelines on the environment to address the social and economic issues aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing wealth.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Professor Judi Wakhungu said the new Plan of Action come in the wake of an environment that has become more vulnerable.

"Water systems are under threat from pollution and human-related activities. Forests face serious degradation as a result of expansion of settlements and agriculture, therefore it is important to constantly keep watch of changes and initiate interventions to address such impacts on the environment," said Wakhungu.

The guidelines provide a standard way of engagement with stakeholders, generating data, analysis of the data, and identifying the major environmental issues and planning for interventions.

Kenya is endowed with enormous natural resources which are vital for supporting the country's economy in addition to providing important ecological goods and services.

Wakhungu said the water towers that provide recharge to rivers which in return provide water for domestic agriculture, wildlife and maintenance to the water cycle, should be preserved because economic growth is dependent on the integrity of the environment.

Kenya prepared the first national environmental Plan of Action in 1994 in pursuit of Agenda 21 of the Rio summit of 1992 of meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability of natural systems.

The national plan was instrumental to the environment in Kenya, since it led to formulation and enactment of an environmental act which established the National Environmental Authority (NEMA), the principal instrument of government that implements all policies relating to the government.

Since then the process has been domesticated through local legal provisions including elevating environmental integrity into a human right.

NEMA Director General Professor Geoffrey Wahungu said the purpose of the environmental action plan guidelines is to help co-ordinate and harmonize environmental policies, plans, programs and decisions on the national and county governments and is the culmination of over year-long engagement with various stakeholders. Endit