Written by Henry Neondo
Kenya is building a climate change resource centre which will be home of a new climate change information and knowledge management system for sharing lessons within and outside of Kenya, the Permanent Secretary, ministry of Environment and Mineral Resource has said.
Speaking while opening a workshop of the African Civil Society organisations meeting in Kajiado County to interrogate the outcomes of the 18th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change concluded last December, Ali Mohamed Dawood said the centre is based at the Kenya Meteorological Department.
This he said is a follow up to the recently launched World Bank-supported Climate Innovation Centre based at Strathmore University.
“Best practice in reducing the risks and harnessing these opportunities related to climate change undertaken by Kenya and other African countries can be shared across national and regional borders to support one another in addressing common vulnerabilities and achieving sustainable development,’ he said.
The PS said action on climate change by all including in countries in Africa is a must to secure the survival of African countries, peoples, natural resources and economic competitiveness.
He told participants that Kenya has developed a National Climate change Response strategy in 2010 that sets a vision of a prosperous and low carbon Kenya.
Mohamed added that over the last one and a half years, the government has coordinated the stakeholders to prepare a harmonised comprehensive National Climate Change Action Plan.
Furthermore, he said, climate change is being integrated into Kenya’s national development plans, including our development blueprint Vision 2030.
He said the measures underscore the seriousness with which the government responds to climate change challenges.
“I am confident that with the implementation of the Action Plan and other priority actions, this will lead to reduced climate vulnerability as well as enable Kenya to develop in as low carbon a way as possible and harness the many benefits that Green Growth provides for sustainable development,” he said.
He urged civil society representatives present to work closely with their governments to make more impact in the climate negotiation processes.
Mithika Mwenda, Coordinator of PACJA said the meeting in Kajiado is aimed at interrogating the impact of the outcomes of the Doha conference on Africa.