• Government is urging precision agriculture, integrated pest management and breeding
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
Kenya is reeling under the effects of climate change, like many other countries around the world. This has prompted a search for innovative solutions.
Some of the measures the Kenyan government is embracing in agrifood innovations to help mitigate climate change include precision agriculture (PA), integrated pest management (IPM) and breeding.
In PA, the government is increasing farming’s efficiency to reduce the impact on the environment as well as productivity.
PA is a set of farm management techniques based on using real-time data on the condition of crops, livestock and the environment, to ensure maximum efficiency and reduced environmental impact are achieved.
Water scarcity and a reduction in fertiliser use are pressing issues for crop production under a climate change scenario. Careful monitoring of field and crop conditions allows optimisation of input applications.
IPM combines various pest-control tools, such as biological, physical and chemical technologies, to minimise costs and reduce environmental impacts.
With the increasing frequency and diversity of pests as a consequence of climate change, and stricter regulations on chemical treatments available, finding innovative solutions that reduce environmental impacts is essential.
Breeding is where more resilient plants (crops) with higher disease resistance, improved tolerance to extreme temperatures or lower water requirements are grown. It also helps in reducing the impacts of agriculture on climate change.
President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier this month declared drought in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) areas a national disaster following inadequate rains in the March to May rainy season.
The Kenya Meteorological Department said most parts of Kenya will experience depressed (below average) rainfall that will be poorly distributed in both time and space in the months of October, November and December.
The areas likely to receive below-average rains include counties in the Western and Rift Valley regions.
These are Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Kericho, Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia, Laikipia, Nakuru and Narok counties.
KMD director Stella Aura said isolated incidents of storms, characterised by flash floods, will also occur despite the expected depressed rains.
“There is a probability that highly depressed rainfall will affect Northeastern counties, such as Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and some parts of Isiolo,” Aura said.
The drought-hit ASAL areas declared a national disaster are Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Samburu, Kitui, Lamu, Isiolo and Laikipia.
The President instructed the National Treasury and the Interior ministry to spearhead government efforts to assist the affected households.
The families are getting assisted through the distribution of water and relief food as well as livestock uptake as the government expects to unveil comprehensive drought mitigation measures.
Image: PSCU
Last month, a report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) outlined an emergency action plan to mitigate the drought situation.
IFRC said scanty rainfall during October- December 2020 and March-May 2021 led to prevailing drought conditions.
In June 2021, most arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) areas received less than 50 per cent of the average rainfall, causing a decline in the health of vegetation compared to the preceding month.
Those in the northeastern region received less than 25 per cent of average precipitation that month.
IFRC had projected that Kenya is likely to experience La Nina conditions, which are associated with low precipitation in East Africa.
“The drought situation is expected to last until October in the ASAL counties,” IFRC report said.
During celebrations of this year’s World Clean-up Day and Bamboo Day, environmental activists in Homa Bay focused more on conservation of the environment.
Activities included planting fruit trees and bamboo for economic, food and conservation benefits. The activists collaborated with the Homa Bay government and Kenya Forestry Research Institute (Kefri).
Participants included Aluora Makare environmental advocacy chairman Willis Omulo, Homa Bay Agriculture executive Aguko Juma and Kefri technologist George Etindi.
They said environmental conservation is one of the best ways to address the implications of climate change. And that conservation, which includes planting of trees, is part of mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has observed that there are already deteriorating conditions of vegetation, shortage of water sources and worsening livestock conditions.
According to its August 2 report, the NDMA said many children are at risk of malnutrition due to reduced milk production as well as hardship in accessing household food.
“Reduced daily meals, eating food low in nutrition and sale of more livestock than usual will become coping strategies for the people,” the report said.