The newly appointed Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, Aden Duale, has pledged to tackle climate change and restore all degraded wetlands and riparian lands in the Country.
Duale, in a brief takeover ceremony held at the Environment Ministry Headquarters, NHIF building, Nairobi, said Kenya has made a very significant contribution in climate change mitigation and adoption measures under the previous leadership of his predecessor, Soipan Tuya, who now moves to the Ministry of Defence,
“Climate change will remain the major focus for me, for it is not only an environmental issue, but also a very serious challenge that humanity faces today, and its impact is profoundly far reaching and deeply personal to all of us,” he noted.
The CS pointed out that practicable strategies, policies, and programmes put in place by the government, including promoting renewable energy, advancing tree planting, and strengthening climate resilient, have laid a solid foundation for the country’s continued progress towards environmental conservation.
Duale promised to strengthen the Climate Action agenda, promote green growth, and ensure sustainable natural resource management by collaborating with government agencies, climate actors, private entities, civil society organisations, and donor communities.
“We will continue to strengthen our Climate Action Agenda, promote green growth, and ensure sustainable natural resource management. We will mobilise climate finance resources from diverse sources and channel them to support our own initiative,” said Duale.
The CS further said climate change is a global challenge that demands international collaboration and promised that his Ministry will champion for active national engagement as well as advocate for more support from the developed countries, to fulfil their climate finance obligation for sustainable mitigation.
Duale said that it was imperative that global emissions are reduced, while financial and technological capacity building support is provided, in line with international commitments.
Kenya is already front-runner in climate negotiations, even as President William Ruto serves as the Chair of the Committee of African States on climate change.
He said that Kenya continues to face the harsh reality brought about by climate change, including prolonged drought for the past two years, followed by destructive floods, which have caused loss of lives and livestock, as well as destruction of government infrastructure.
Consequently, the CS said he will put in place sustainable measures to minimise environmental impact by planting trees, teaching people living in ASAL areas, to adopt alternative livelihoods, and restoring all 11, 000 wetlands, as well as degraded forests.
He said that under his leadership, the Environment Ministry will continue to implement the 15 billion tree planting programme, through the national landscape and ecosystem restoration strategy.
“We have already grown over four hundred million trees in an effort to restore our ecosystem, and we will continue to have a programme for our conservation and management of our ecosystem.”
Duale pledged to protect all 2.6 million hectares of public forest by engaging communities and private sectors, focusing on agroforestry and commercial forestry for sustainable benefits.
“We will implement institutional reforms, including resource mobilisation, such as the carbon credit market and payment for ecosystems, to enhance our resource mobilisation so as to bring good governance in the forest sector.
The CS said he will fast-track all waste management regulations and work together with counties to ensure towns and cities are clean by protecting all ecosystems.
On river restoration, Duale said he will be spearheading a programme to clean all rivers, starting with the Nairobi River, by involving all actors, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat.
He said he will champion the culture of planting trees among Kenyans, while encouraging road contractors, to adopt the practice of replacing trees cleared during road construction.
On her part, Tuya extended gratitude to the Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies and the entire staff at the Ministry of Environment, for the immense support they gave her, during her tenure.
“The ministry remains in good hands under the leadership of the incoming CS, adding that Duale was highly ranked in the restoration of the ecosystem programme, while serving in the Ministry of Defence.
Tuya expressed confidence that her successor will propel the Ministry into even higher levels, while promising to continue offering her support in order to achieve the National government’s ambitious plan of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
By Ian Chepkuto
