Wanton destruction of forests and urbanisation have contributed to climate change and taken a toll on food security in Kilifi county.
Agricultural development consultant Baha Nguma said the county will continue to receive little rainfall unless all stakeholders unite to reverse the effects of climate change.
“Kilifi heavily relies on rain-fed agriculture. For the last 20 years, the county has not recorded a bumper harvest. Every season the harvest is less than the last. This should be a wake-up call for policymakers to come up with ways to change the narrative,” he said
Baha said although climate change is a global problem that needs a global solution, interventions at the county level could make a great impact.
“We need a policy that will compel every farmer to set aside 10 per cent of their land for trees. Every house in the urban centre should have trees planted around it. We also need ways to discourage rural-urban migration,” he said.
He said logging and charcoal burning should be banned in the county.
“Most areas depend on forests to survive. The government can impose a ban on logging and charcoal burning. Mangroves should also be protected. The government should devise an alternative source of livelihood to these people who depend on charcoal burning then put a ban and enforce it,” Baha said.
Kilifi Meteorological Services director Gertrude Leshamta said climate change is largely caused by the increase in carbon dioxide in the environment due to deforestation and industrial activities.
Leshamta said the situation has contributed to unpredicted rain patterns, hurting the agricultural and fisheries sectors.
“We experience erratic rainfall and the rains delay most of the time. It has become hard to do farming due to the uneven rain patterns,” she said.
Leshamta urged residents in areas where mangroves do well to come up with carbon selling projects.
Wildlife Conservation Society seagrass researcher Alpheen Mbodze said the changes have led to an increase in water levels, which has led to a reduction in marine fish production.
Mbodze urged residents to plant mangrove trees.
She said a good number of fish species use the mangrove areas for spawning.
Edited by A.N
