Copenhagen15- Climate concerns far fetched in Africa

Kenyans understand issues affecting their environments in the most rudimentary of ways. Why? because the end result is what matters to most Kenyans. Complexities don't do well with Kenyans. Simply put no rain means higher food prices. While lots of rain, can be good but also means damage of crops, loss of livestock . Which eventually leads to a depreciated output from the Agricultural sector.

Right now Kenya’s GDP is at threat due to climate change and risks losing its gains by 3 percent by 2030 (An economist did the foreacast - remember vision 2030?). This will happen If remedial measures are not urgently taken.


Let me break it down this way. Kenya’s different topographical regions experience distinct climates. Generally, the hottest time is in February and March and the coldest in July and August. The low plateau area is the driest part of the country e.g Wajir.

Nairobi, in the temperate Kenya highlands, receives an average annual rainfall of 790 mm. Higher elevation areas within the highlands(central province) receive much larger amounts of rainfall. I know most of you have forgotten how to measure rain.

Reflect back to primary school, do you remember the apparatus that looked like a juice jar. It is what meteorologists use to reach their findings. So let's continue, the Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya is generally the wettest region in the country, particularly the highland regions to the north and south of Kisumu, where average annual rainfall ranges from 1,740 mm.

However this has changed and the patterns of rainfall and temperature have become erratic between the years of 1994 and 2009. From harsh effect of Elnino and Lanina.


Climate Change in Kenya
The world has now focused on Copenhagen, Denmark as the climate meeting which opened on December 7th 2009. Africa licks wet and dry wounds grazed by climate change. Due to a highly charged political atmosphere, African leaders are often preoccupied with issues pertaining to security of their tenure compared to those borne by greenhouse effects. If African leaders and more so my beloved Kenyans deviate their attentions from highly politicized topics, they could expect to yield deliberations that will save them from the wrath of a polluted environment.



President Obama’s strong commitment on the issue of climate change and his global leadership is at the peak of these negotiations in COP 15

The peak of Mount Kenya, the region's largest snow capped mountain, has now been left bare by the effects of global warming and could end up losing the ice completely by 2050 due to these effects (Another forecast by a meteorologist). More reason why Kenya should come out of the meeting with a deal is the fact that the climate change will have a negative impact with increasing water shortage for urban and irrigation consumption, substantial loss in hydro power with an estimate annual costs of US$66 million leading up to 2050.(I didn't make that up, i read it on another blog).

Though Al Gore canceled his expected speech to 3000 delegates at the Copenhagen summit. Kenyans should take a step forward and zone into environmental conservation schemes intimate with their respective settings.

Then maybe we could have a normal chat on the green house effect. Without thinking its a street in Saturn.

PS: The hardest piece to put together. Not very palatable.