If more commercial developers gave priority to parking racks for bicycles and electric as well as hybrid cars, they would help reduce the appetite for second-hand cars. PHOTO | FILE
Mid this year, the United Nations released a disturbing report titled ‘‘Actions on Air Quality’’ on the levels of Kenya’s pollution.
The report painted a gloomy picture of a situation that must be taken under control. Over 14,300 Kenyans, it noted, die annually from health conditions that are directly attributed to air pollution.
One of the biggest contributors to this country’s air pollution is vehicles’ exhaust fume, given the huge number of second hand vehicles imported into the country.
These vehicles mostly come with no catalytic converters and with Kenya’s average vehicles registration now standing at 14,005 annually, more dangerous emissions may be witnessed.
That notwithstanding, this side of East Africa is growing at an alarming rate, with so much natural vegetation quickly being replaced by brick, mortar and glass, as property development and infrastructural expansion continues.
Huge tracts of foliage land, especially around urban areas have been disappearing at a worrying rate, and quickly being hived off for construction of mega buildings. Sadly, today, only about two per cent of Kenya’s land remains forested. It is a case of ‘‘from green vegetation to a desert of real and commercial estates.’’
Against the backdrop of these environmental challenges, this calls for Kenya to come up with a clear and specific strategy that would help the country avoid going towards the route of New Delhi or China as far as air pollution levels are concerned.
One way the government can assist is by coming up with attractive incentives that would encourage its citizens to adopt environment friendly actions. The Government’s role in coming up with and enforcing environmental laws also need not be belaboured.
Yet, the issue of environmental consciousness isn’t a matter that should be solely left to the government. The concept of Public Private Partnerships has already gained enough momentum, where the private sector has become a key player in national development.
One area where this partnership may be explored with keenness is in the area of green building technology.
In a country that is witnessing such exponential real estate and commercial property growth, green building technology is about coming up with sound architectural structures, while using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout the buildings’ life-cycle.
It involves such things as deliberate efforts to have as much foliage incorporated in structures and their environments as possible. It also involves such unique facilities such as generous and well-designed bicycle parking racks.
Both commercial and residential developers should be encouraged to adopt the green building technology concept that also gives their properties a competitive edge, as more businesses and Kenyans become environmentally conscious.
For instance, if more commercial developers gave priority to parking racks for bicycles and electric as well as hybrid cars, they would help reduce the appetite for second-hand cars.
PDM Holdings, an East African developer based in Kenya was recently given accolades by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for its Vienna Court project along State House Crescent in Nairobi.
The USGBC awarded the project with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Gold pre-certification for its provision of features like: rainwater harvesting, balconies with solar shading, solar control glass, priority parking for energy efficient cars and bicycle storage facilities.
In order to take such initiatives to the next level, county governments, for example, could come up with incentives that favourably set lower rates for buildings that have evidently adopted an agreeable threshold of green building technologies.
It could be exciting to have local governments coming up with a square-foot threshold for designated parking lots for non-fuel guzzling vehicles and bicycles, and charging lesser rates based against this.
The local governments can also come up with similar incentives for buildings whose construction has met agreeable levels of water, energy and materials efficiency.
Commendably, the government has already set an age limit on car imports and this goes a long way in safe-guarding our environment; but a lot more needs to be done.
The huge adoption of bodaboda (motorcycles) across the country shows Kenyans’ readiness to take up bicycle transport to work if they were offered the necessary support.
Road infrastructure development, for instance, needs to boldly and deliberately design bike ways. A move towards this will increase the number of people cycling and as a result force developers to come up with a solution for the many bicycles that would end up at their properties’ front yard.
There are some countries that Kenya can look up to, if we were to truly seek to entrench the cycling tradition. Netherlands has the highest number of bicycles per capita and 27 per cent of all trips and twenty five percent of trips to work, in the country, are made using bikes.
Out of its 16,652,800 population, there are 16,500,000 bicycles representing and impressive 99.1 per cent cyclists.
The average distance cycled per person per day is 2.5 km. As a result, this country’s pollution index stands at a commendable 29.08 as per 2016 mid-year index rating. Kenya’s pollution index is at a distant 70.51.
The writer is the Executive Director at PDM Holdings, an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)
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