President William Ruto’s dreams of Kenya becoming an environmental hub and calls to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 may never materialise if Kenyan institutions of higher learning do not take the lead.
This has come out as it emerges that Kenya is losing about KES. 900 billion annually due to changes in climate change, equated to about 3 – 5% of the country’s gross domestic product.
This trend is likely to continue and cost Kenyans more if no action is taken, where the government and institutions of higher learning are now being called up to join hands and develop courses that will change the trend and avert a catastrophe.
Scientists and scholars believe that in the next 15 years, Kenya is likely to lose about KES. 15 trillion due to climate change-related causes, which include drought, floods, failed harvests and destroyed infrastructure, thus derailing developments that would otherwise have propelled the country’s status, thus they demand action.
Speaking at the launch of the institute for sustainability and climate under the international leadership university, environmentalist Dr. Kalua Green noted Kenya and Africa at large, can lead the world in developing solutions that would reverse the adverse effects of climate change, noting that they were the most affected, if collaborations were prioritized, noting institutions of higher learning had the capacity.
Consequently, Kenyans have also been urged to take seriously the quest to protect and preserve the environment, noting there are consequences that come with not doing so.
The president has been a key proponent of conservation efforts with the introduction of yearly tree planting days, but the follow-up to see the trees mature has proved futile.
Institutions of higher learning are now being challenged to come up with solutions that would give the country an edge over the world on how to conserve the environment, and reap the benefits of carbon credit.
