Copenhagen: Reality check for Kenya

One major achievement of the Copenhagen debate for Kenya is that public awareness on global warming, especially through the media, has been excellent.

A subject that was hitherto “all Greek” even to a number of our ministers appears to have been well understood in the last few months.

We have also learned from Copenhagen that commitment to alleviate global warming is essentially based on vested economic interests of various countries who do not wish to sacrifice their growths at the altar of climate change.

After all the noise and activism at Copenhagen, we need to move back to the Kenyan reality and localise global warming solutions to reflect Kenya’s economic and social needs.

Climate change is global but impacts and solutions are essentially local.

We need to focus on turning global warming challenges into opportunities for Kenya.

We should also action corrective activities that are economically sensible, easy to achieve and which make huge differences to the country’s economic and social survival.

Global warming

Of course, Kenya will seek to benefit from the global warming dollars to be made available for developing countries’ fight against climate change.

However, this should not be the main point of focus for we can achieve a lot on our own.

Climate change impacts response should be based on three cardinal realities.

Firstly, that rain patterns have changed and that food security is a key national threat.

Secondly, that energy security and cost will have a major negative impact due to permanently reduced hydro energy.

Thirdly, that whatever little rains we get can be conserved by massive reforestation programmes.

We apparently have no choice but to act on the three survival thrusts with or without Copenhagen as it is a matter of national survival.