• Kenya is keen to have climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution addressed during the UN Assembly.
• The country will also be championing sustainable production and consumption, resource efficiency, blue economy and circular economy.
Image: Wilfred Nyangares.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution are some of the pressing issues Kenya is set to take to the floor of the United Nations Environment Assembly.
Ministry of Environment Multilateral Agreements head Cyrus Mageria told the Star that Kenya will also be championing for sustainable production and consumption.
"We will also have issues to do with resource efficiency, blue economy and the circular economy," Mageria said.
The fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) will be held virtually on February 22-23. The in-person session will be held in Nairobi in February 2022.
The assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making organ on the environment and enjoys the universal membership of all 193 UN member states.
The theme for the virtual and in-person sessions is 'Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals'.
The theme highlights the pivotal role nature plays in lives and in social, economic, and environmentally sustainable development.
Nature is key to meeting the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda adopted by all UN member states in 2015.
The 2030 Agenda aims to end poverty and conflict, build just and inclusive societies, and ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the framework for how countries can achieve this.
Full of diversity and complexity, nature underpins countries' economies and their societies.
Humanity is however destroying these life-giving services through over-exploitation, unchecked development, and climate change.
A World Wide Fund's Living Planet Report 2020 showed that the population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have declined an average of 68 per cent between 1970 and 2016.
Recent modeling shows that implementing policies now that promote resource efficiency, combat climate change and limit biodiversity loss could increase global GDP by eight per cent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2060.
Restoration of 350 million hectares (864 million acres) of degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems between now and 2030, could generate US$9 trillion worth of ecosystem services.
Covid-19 pandemic recovery plans that include investing in nature and green jobs, sustainable finance, sound chemicals management, and sustainable production and consumption will be discussed.
Kenya is grappling with rising lakes in Rift Valley and Lake Victoria.
The government has appealed to the international community to help mobilise resources to address the humanitarian crisis caused by rising water levels.
A preliminary assessment report by a multi-agency team showed 28 people have died as a result of flooding caused by the rising water levels.
The water levels in the Rift Valley lakes and Lake Victoria has been rising since 2010, submerging riparian areas, farmlands, infrastructure and causing a humanitarian crisis.
It has adversely affected property owners, communities, biodiversity and wildlife.
Environment PS Chris Kiptoo said there is need to deal with the effects of climate change.
The UN has been urging developed countries to fulfil their annual pledge of Sh10.1 trillion to support mitigation and adaptation to climate change in developing nations.
Desert locusts have also been decimating crops in some of the counties.
Banned plastics have also been coming into the country.
Kenya banned the use of single-use carrier bags in February 2017.
The ban went into effect on August 28 that year.