• Environment PS Chris Kiptoo said the impacts of climate change are hitting the most vulnerable populations hard.
• He said despite the glaring scientific evidence there is still a clear disconnect between science and the policy and action.
Concerned about the unfolding impacts of climate change, the government on Monday said it will integrate the topic in all levels of formal education.
Environment PS Chris Kiptoo said the impacts of climate change are hitting the most vulnerable populations hard.
“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. The economic cost of floods and droughts is estimated to create a long-term fiscal liability equivalent to 3 per cent of GDP each year,” Kiptoo said.
Kiptoo’s speech was read on his behalf by Pacifica Ogola, the director, Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment.
She spoke during the first round of virtual consultations of the National Planning Workshop in preparation for the development of Kenya’s National Climate Change Learning Strategy.
Kiptoo said despite the glaring scientific evidence there is still a clear disconnect between science and the policy and action.
“For most developing countries, access to quality and reliable data for making informed policy decisions is also a major challenge,” he said.
The PS said it is also important to recognise the role of the youth, traditional or Indigenous knowledge and promote citizen science.
“To improve the capacity of our citizens in climate change, we need sustained education and public awareness programmes, which also reward innovation,” he said.
Kiptoo said the government has put in place national policies, laws and institutional frameworks to accelerate efforts to combat climate change in support of the international and regional efforts.
This, he said, include education, training, capacity development and public awareness.
In 2015, Kenya submitted a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 2030.
The PS said Kenya is in the process of updating her NDC and very soon its long –term Green House Gas emission strategy for 2050.
Kiptoo said education, training, capacity development and public awareness are highlighted as critical enablers in the realisation of a low carbon emission resilient development pathway.
He said the operationalising Kenya’s plans and policies will require a skilled population that understands all aspects of climate change.
“We, therefore, require massive capacity building, education, knowledge and awareness,” he said.
The head of One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC: Learn) Secretariat Angus Mackay said the education sector must be involved in matters climate change.
"With 100 million teachers, climate change can be tackled," he said.
The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC: Learn) is a collaborative initiative of more than 30 multilateral organisations supporting countries to design and implement systematic, recurrent and results-oriented climate change learning.
The initiative was launched at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. However, its implementation was a challenge.