Green Generation Kenya

Friday, April 29, 2011

Toxicity in lake Nakuru

Birds leave Lake Nakuru as ‘toxicity’ levels rise

Thousands of flamingoes have migrated to Lake Oloidien in Naivasha due to what bird experts’ term as high toxicity levels in their natural home at Lake Nakuru.

Kenya Wildlife Service scientist in charge of Ecological Monitoring Mr Joseph Edebe said the migration might have been triggered by dilution of the lake.

He said fresh water flowing into Lake Nakuru might have diluted the salinity of the water, thereby reducing production of algae that is food for the birds. He said during a census of water birds carried early this month, they noted the number of fresh water birds such as pelicans had increased.

According to estimates from the experts, the number of the birds in the small lake that borders Lake Naivasha stands at 1.5 million. This came as water levels in the lake rose with, hopes that this could act as a tourist attraction site.

Mr David Kilo, an eco-tourism operator and a bird expert, said the birds had moved to the lake due to the high level of algae.

He said algae that turned the colour of the lake’s water to green, gives flamingoes ample food.

He said that the birds were no longer using the lake as a resting place on their way to Lake Natron as has been the norm in the past migrations.

"In the past flamingo flying from Lake Nakuru to Lake Natron briefly stopped here but they have now moved here permanently," he said.

Kilo said that the high toxic levels at Crater Lake and Lake Nakuru had seen the birds opt for the small lake. Another operator Simon Kiarie attributed the rise in water levels in the lake to the conservation of Mau Forest, which acts, as the catchment are to the lake.

He termed the shifting of the birds from Nakuru to Naivasha as a blessing as it came soon after KWS raised its park entry fees.

"Tourists can easily access this part of the lake as there is no fee charge unlike other areas like Lake Nakuru," he said.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

The operators however expressed their concern that white settlers around the lake had fenced off part of the lake making it impossible for locals to access it. "We call on the Government to intervene as all the riparian land has been fenced off by investors," Kiarie appeal.

The lake’s abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingoes that famously line the shore. Other attractions in the lake include warthogs, baboons and other large mammals.

The park has recently been enlarged partly to provide the sanctuary for the black rhino. This undertaking has necessitated a fence — to keep out poachers rather than to restrict the movement of wildlife

The park marches for 12 km on the southeastern boundary with the Soysambu conservancy.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Conservation Planning for Sea Turtles In Kenya.

Five species of sea turtles are found in Kenya; the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nest and forage in Kenya while the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) use Kenya’s waters as migratory routes and foraging grounds. The cultural and socio-economic values of sea turtles drive illegal harvesting of sea turtles for meat, oil and eggs. Degradation of sea turtle habitats is also a major threat. The most exploited species’ include the green turtle, the olive ridley and the hawksbill. Sea turtles also face the most critical threat from fisheries through incidental capture in set gillnets and trawl nets. These fishing gears cause either drowning through entanglement or sea turtles are opportunistically harvested by the fishermen. Additionally, other threats include loss and degradation of nesting and foraging grounds from coastal developments, pollution from land based sources, marine debris, oil spills, oil and gas exploration, predation of hatchlings and juveniles, diseases and emerging threats related to climate change.

Due to their unique ecology and migratory nature, the myriad of threats sea turtles face has led to drastic global population declines. Two of the species utilizing Kenya’s territorial waters are listed as critically endangered while three are listed as endangered. Effective management and recovery of Kenya’s sea turtle populations can only be achieved through implementation of a national strategy that links into regional and international initiatives to protect nesting beaches and critical foraging habitats from degradation, eliminate illegal harvesting and trade in sea turtles and their products, mitigate fisheries impacts, and enhance collaborative participation of local communities and other stakeholders in conservation.

The Kenya Wildlife Service through its Biodiversity Research and Monitoring Division convened a meeting in November 2007 for representatives of all key stakeholders in sea turtle conservation. It is from this forum, that the Kenya National Sea Turtle Conservation Taskforce was constituted and later endorsed by the Kenya Wildlife Service Board of Trustees. The taskforce was given the responsibility to develop a national sea turtle conservation and management strategy, which would provide a coordinated framework for the conservation of sea turtles in Kenya. The national sea turtle conservation and management strategy has gone through several development stages since November 2008 and finally endorsed at a National Stakeholders’ Workshop held in Mombasa in April 2009.

The strategy is intended to guide efforts in conservation and management of sea turtles and their habitats. The main tools to be utilized towards the realization of this strategy include advocacy, communication, education, public awareness, targeted research and monitoring, and threat mitigation. Ultimately, the wider participation of the local communities and other stakeholders, including scientists, government and non-governmental institutions is to be realized. The strategy builds on ongoing efforts and initiates changes that will add value to sea turtle conservation efforts. The strategy is also aligned to international and regional conservation conventions and agreements. It also contributes towards the realization of the Vision 2030, which recognizes tourism as a major sector towards economic empowerment and to the increasing international value of eco-tourism in relation to species conservation.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

THE GREEN GENERATION II

Climate Change

"We have a responsibility to protect the rights of generations, of all species, that cannot speak for themselves today. The global challenge of climate change requires that we ask no less of our leaders, or ourselves." Prof Wangari Maathai

The Green Belt Movement have been planting trees for much longer than climate change has been at the top of the political agenda. However the outcome of Copenhagen leaves the whole world with more work to do, including GBM.

In 2011 we will continue and increase our work at the grassroots to address the impact of climate change, while stepping up our calls for a global deal which safeguards the future of out planet and helps Africa adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Failure of the world leaders at Copenhagen to reach a binding agreement means in 2011 it is down to each and every one of us to step up and take action. Planting a tree can be a first simple step.

Climate change is caused by the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) released from burning fossil fuels and from land use change, particularly the removal of forests which accounts for almost 20% of global emissions (more than the transport industry). The countries that developed first, for example the UK, US and France, have emitted vastly more GHGs then the countries currently called 'developing', such as Kenya, Namibia and Bangladesh.

Ironically, scientists say that it is the developing countries that will be hardest hit; African countries in particular. A just response to climate change must therefore include a comprehensive compensation package from the developed countries that have polluted the most to the developing countries whose total historical emissions are very low and are the most affected... Climate change isn't just about the 'environment'. People around the world are suffering the effects of climate change now, and for these people climate change is an issue of justice.

The urgency of now

Earth's climatic systems are incredibly complex. Despite an increasing intensity of work by scientists around the world details of how a warmer world will impact climate, the facts are elusive. In the face of uncertainly climate scientists have drawn a line in the sand. Consensus is that an average surface temperature rise of the planet by more than 2° Celsius would have catastrophic effects for the biosphere and humanity's place in it.

In order to avoid temperature increases of more than 2° Celsius and dangerous runaway climate change we must reduce emissions by something in the region of 80% by 2050. Given population increases over this time this is really the same as saying we must become carbon neutral.

Failure to act now will be catastrophic. This means that we are the only generation of humans ever who are able to effectively respond to this challenge. The decisions we make today will have a greater impact on the future of the planet then the decisions made by any previous generation. We have to get it right!

If not us, who? If not now, when?

The role of forests

Ecological systems are key components of the carbon cycle. For example, forests are enormous stores of terrestrial carbon. Removing forests causes GHG emissions and makes the land vulnerable to further degradation. Conversely afforestation sequesters carbon and provides a natural buffer against desertification and other environmental problems associated with changing climates. Planting and protecting forests will be a crucial part of the global response to climate change both in terms of mitigation (actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance sinks aimed at reducing the extent of global warming) and adaptation (initiatives and measures taken to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems against actual or expected climate change effects). However, to get this right the peoples living in and around the land to be forested must considered appropriately and involved in the change of land use.

REDD

REDD stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. Deforestation accounts for nearly 20% of global annual carbon emissions - greater than the entire transport sector emissions combined. Deforestation is one of the most pressing areas to tackle in the fight against climate change. REDD is a proposed mechanism under the UNFCCC to slow the loss of forests in order to mitigate against climate change, address rural poverty and preserve biodiversity. The concept is a simple one: countries that are willing and able to reduce emissions from deforestation should be financially compensated for doing so.

Challenges Ahead:

How REDD will work in practice is proving controversial, raising complex issues including national sovereignty, human rights, effective measurement, adequate and corruption. Lacking vital safeguards against logging and failing to protect intact natural forests and the rights of indigenous people, who live and depend on the forests. There is a lot of work still to be done to make sure REDD works for the forests and the people who depend on them, rather than for business as usual which includes international logging companies. GBM will work hard in 2011 to constantly remind people that, at the heart of it, REDD is about natural forests and the people who live, and have lived their lives there for thousands of years. It is to future generations that we must be accountable.

This is what Wangari Maathai had to say about REDD in 2009:

"When I think of REDD what comes to mind is the Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem in Central Africa. It is the second largest tropical forest in the world after the Amazon Basin. The third largest rain forest complex is in South East Asia. Together these three forest ecosystems form a vital green belt around the world.

The Congo Basin forest crosses the borders of 11 countries and covers almost 50% of the land mass of Central Africa, sustaining over 50 million people in the region. The Congo ecosystem plays a vital role in stabilizing the global climate and without it the world, and Africa in particular, will not be able to mitigate and adapt to climate change. That is why the world needs REDD.

REDD is a unique opportunity for us all to ensure that natural forests remain standing, and continue to serve as carbon sinks and as the "lungs of the world". It would make trees worth more standing than cut.

We must also ensure that:

•Natural forests, which sustain livelihoods and provide essential ecological services, are distinguished from commercial plantations, which destroy biodiversity and the capacity to retain water.

•REDD includes land-use education and capacity building of local communities - including provision of support - to promote forest conservation. Unsustainable agricultural practices are one of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. As agricultural land degrades, farmers expand into new areas, often at the expense of forests.

•REDD is accessible to local communities. Financial mechanisms must ensure accountability and responsible utilization of resources.

We must ensure that REDD policy works in practice and promotes equity, biodiversity and the rights of local communities. It is vital that benefits gained are for the people to whom forest is life. Development plans for the Congo Basin need a solution that firmly puts people, not timber, at its heart. That is why any REDD discussions must allow all stakeholders a seat at the table."

GBM's approach to climate change

GBM has over 30 years experience rehabilitating degraded lands in Kenya through tree planting and supporting small holder farmers to increase yields and sustainability. This experience is invaluable to the international response to climate change.

GBM works with its network of over 4000 community groups across Kenya to respond to environmental problems and improve people's lives. This work is now also significant on a regional and international level because the GBM engagement approach empowers rural poor people to plant trees which soak up damaging co2 from the atmosphere mitigating the effects of climate change and helping adapt through creating buffers and resilient systems to unavoidable climate change.

Planting Trees for the 10:10:10 Global Day of Doing

On the 10th October 2011 people around the world will be taking part in a Global Day of Doing to protect our planet from climate change. Click here to find out the full details - register to plant a tree, get 10 top planting tips and be inspired by actions taking place around the world.