Let us Conserve the Environment

Dear Hon Prime Minister

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) commends your hard work in environmental conservation, particularly of forested mountains.The GBM seeks your support on several issues touching on the environment and sustainable development.
First, environmental education should be a universal, compulsory subject at all levels. For many years, the GBM has advocated for its introduction as an examinable subject to no avail.Such education and training would give wananchi, majority of who depend on agriculture and tourism, an appreciation, awareness and positive attitude towards the environment and equip them with skills and best practices towards its management.

Second, vanishing wetlands are a major environmental concern. In Nairobi alone, we have lost more than ten key wetlands to real estate developers. This has been despite protests, court injunctions and even interventions by your ministers. Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha are drying up due to lack of environmental management plans.

National menace

Third, flimsy plastic bags continue to be a national menace. A Government intervention seeking to ban them was reversed. These plastics pose a serious danger to public health, domestic animals and are non bio-degradable.

Fourth, rain water harvesting is essential to address water scarcity. This can be done from roof catchments, run off and appropriate agricultural practices like terracing and cut off drains. There is need to have a policy that requires property owners to incorporate water harvesting in their building plans.

Fifth, clearing of vegetation on road reserves is a long established practice within the Roads ministry. It facilitates soil erosion and subsequent land degradation and results in siltation in dams and destruction of the coral reef and other marine life.

It also goes against the principle of conserving biodiversity and sequestering carbon emissions.

Through Kazi kwa Vijana, the youth should plant trees and vegetation along road reserves and harvest water along the highways and on farms. The GBM is willing to work with relevant ministries to ensure we do not destroy the environment as we engage young people in productive work.

Sixth, the five water towers — Mau Forest complex, Aberdare Ranges, Mt Kenya, Cherengani Hills, Mt Elgon — and other forest blocs are vital to the country. Their destruction due to human settlements, grazing of domestic animals and the re-introduction of the Shamba System contribute to water shortages, change in rainfall patterns and reduced agricultural production.

Courting disaster

We are courting disaster if this trend continues. In the case of the Mau Forest complex, while appreciating that the Government set up a Task Force to investigate the issue of human settlements in the Mau, a final report should have been out by now.
The GBM is ready to assist in whichever way you consider appropriate. We would be happy to give a presentation at your convenience.

Prof Wangari Maathai,
2004 Nobel Laureate,
Goodwill Ambassador of the Congo Basin Forest System