Climate Change and Government policies

Climatic concerns have been cited as the greatest challenges facing several African nations. Too, Climate change is one of the utmost social, monetary and environmental confrontations of our time. Individual actions are causing the atmosphere to vary. This, in turn, is having an impact on Africas rainfall, environment, bushfire regularity, individual wellbeing, heritage and biodiversity for existing and upcoming generations (Johansen, 2006).  In regard to such situation, the Kenyan government has opted to administer a number of diverse public-private partnerships in order to eliminate a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Practically, these programs are designed to focus on energy efficiency, methane and non-carbon dioxide gases as well as agricultural practices that would help in greenhouse gas reductions.

Also, the use of quality scientific researches into climate change are helping the Kenyan government to gain more qualified information on the diverse causes, nature as well as the consequences resulting from climate changes. Therefore, in order to contain negative impacts human actions are imprinting on the environment, the government have established stringent policies designed to control the climate changes and their consequences.

Government policies
The government has followed a candid policy in embarking upon climate changes ever since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997. Under the accord the government has established that it will meet hard-hitting objectives to trim down carbon emanations percentage increase. The stipulations of this accord are due to stop by 2012, after which an additional agreement will be put in place (Johansen, 2006).The government identifies that the universal atmosphere is changing as a result of increased concentrations of greenhouse gas releases in the atmosphere, and that these increased concentrations are in principal the result of human activities. And this is an indication that climate change will result in global temperature and ocean level rises, changes to rainfall patterns as well as increased occurrences of intensified and fatal conditions such as storms, drought, floods and cyclones (McClanahan, et al, 1996).

Therefore, the government has considerably implemented the climate course of action which entails measuring and evaluating the distinct values that individuals place on resources employed for alternative uses. And this infers that, the government balances the costs and benefits of utilizing the environment in the most acceptable manner, in relation to the consequences involved.

In order to prevent further damages which can have far reaching effects on climate, the government is implementing, though difficult, environmental policies which are aimed at protecting both artificial and natural forests.  Though there is a substantial gap between the policy and reality, the government is pushing towards enacting environmental procedures in order to control effects of deforestation on climate changes. The purpose of protecting forests is viewed as one of the many steps the government is undertaking in boosting procedures of averting any serious threats from effects of climate changes. It should be noted that, climate changes has the latent of affecting nearly every sector in Kenya, including trade, agriculture, transportation, health, water ,finance, energy and industry.
The government has established that, the involvement of various stakeholders is paramount this is due to the facts that, a significant percentage of the countrys emissions are allied to private sector. Therefore, engaging the private stakeholders in both primary and secondary implementation of environmental policies, it would be crucial in protecting the environment from myriad of negative impacts due to human activities.

Policy Options
Due to the uncertainty regarding the enormity and hazards of climate changes, the government has responded by implementing a positive attitudes as well as allowing acting on accumulated information pertaining to climate changes. In addition, this is also complemented by governments research programs which are prepared as measures to help the government better understand the economic and environmental scope of climate changes in the country. Also, it is widely acknowledged that, these programs which currently being implemented in line with the laid down environmental policies. Too, these policies are the key measures that are aiding the government in establishing the appropriate technological options best suited in reducing the greenhouse emissions. And these policies are proving to be crucial and beneficial. Considering the challenges posed by the climates in the world today, the government has stringently opted to utilize the policy that principally dwells on direct controls, this indicates that, the government determines the nature and type of equipment to be used and this greatly helps in minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions. Despite such regulatory procedure, the expenses and remunerations are uncertain due to unpredictable climate changes. Therefore, another probable policy that the government attempted to employ regards using a system that increases the cost of emissions. And this has added advantages in that, for a number of years it has raised considerable revenues. However, this system have some distributional effects, though they are depending on the manner the government is regulating and handling the implementation of its policies.

Also another important procedure that the government has vehemently embraced is the scope of educating its citizens on the advantages of reducing carbon emissions as well as protecting the environment. Therefore, the decisions the government is making today in regard to climate changes, are being reflected in the implemented policies which touches on the future of nations economic infrastructure, education, health, water conservation and management, biodiversity, agriculture including housing (Burby,et al,1991). This is due to the fact that, the climate changes being witnessed today in this country may have far reaching consequence in the days to come. Hence, by acting on these decisions Kenya will be in a position to handle the unavoidable, unpredictable impacts of climate changes.

Therefore, the government can be said to have implemented a combination of public education in line with public policy in order to give the citizens a chance to act responsibly in regard to matters involving climate changes.  In regard to the said observations, the government is working dynamically to engage other regional leaders for a local agreement to control the climate changes and this is doing while taking domestic measures to reduce the carbon emission in its own input (McClanahan,et al,1996). All in all, the government is prepared to implement diverse policies which are geared towards sustaining a healthy environment. Therefore, technological as well as scientific measures have been incorporated into the government policies in order to enact the stipulated measures on climate changes.

More so, the government has indicated that, to move forward, it has to balance priorities, identify stumbling blocks and equally implement the mechanisms of working on them. An important feature of this commitment is to take solid decision regarding the reporting emissions and emissions cutbacks by the companies and how to minimize and regulate them. Additionally, it would be crucial to reflect on the procedures the government has outlined towards enhancing cooperation between both private and public stakeholders in dealing with emissions.  According to Burby, et al., (1991), the effects of climate changes can be only be halted where the respective government accepts to employ and enact policies that are designed towards environmental protection.

Government responses
The first major convention on climate changes was held in Geneva 1979. The convention discussed diverse aspects of climate changes and how these changes would gradually impact on human activities. In early 1985, the Villach Symposium in Austria acknowledged that the increase in greenhouse gases could generate global warming (Johansen, 2006). As a result of this observation, the deliberations of these meetings were presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. It was noted that climate change is a universal issue that essentially required all nations to seek alleviation measures at all levels.

Under the UNFCCC, every nation is required to develop a climate response programme that would involve climate change actions into all relevant areas. Climate change has overwhelming effects on the lives of community. Hence, the governments action taken to condense potential impacts of climate changes is done while considering social, economic and political problems. Though, the levels of greenhouse emissions are significantly low due to low rates of industrial development and economic growth in the country. It would be insignificant to assume that, the nations environment cannot suffer from effects of climate changes. To maintain the low levels of greenhouse emissions, the government has outlined the basic procedures to be employed by both international and domestic firms which are the most responsible players in high rates of emissions. Also, the government is responding to climate changes by attempting to provide the available resources to the concerned industries. And this has significantly contributed to the major offset of additional costs of cleaner energy, use of energy more efficiently as well as stopping of environmental degradation.

This is an indication that, the Kenyan government is playing a significant role in regard to climate change issues. It is evident that, despite the concentrated efforts towards implementing environmental policies. It is profound to understand that, the first fundamental declaration on climate change in Africa was made in Kenya in 1990 during the Nairobi Conference of Global Warming and Climate Change, which is commonly referred as Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change (McClanahan, et al, 1996).

Conclusion
With the growing anxiety on climate change, the Kenyan government has constituted the National Climate Change Activities Coordinating Committee (NCCACC). Its members are drawn from various governmental arms which includes, ministry of agriculture, forestry department, finance, public universities as well as the private sector. In principal the government has defined the aims of NCCACC as to ensure the establishment of appropriately networked record on climate change, impact and reaction procedures and research activities.  Also, this organization is mandated with the duty of identifying and facilitating of both international and national research programs on climate change, advising the government on climate change, impacts and respective policies.

Another fact is that, it is permitted to create and generate civic information and awareness, assist with the grounding of information to the IPCC and other institutions concerned with climate subjects as well as ensure the formulation of suitable national responses to issues which may be moved up at general and global levels (Burby, et al, 1991).

Kenyas financial system depends on the subsequent energy schemes wood fuel, electricity, fossil fuel, ethanol, and solar energy. Reflecting on the environmental effects such
usage can cause, the government found it wiser to take actions on time in order to protect the wellbeing of its citizens in regard to climate changes.

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