Kenya urges world to develop stronger environmental policies
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E-mail Xinhua, February 23, 2012
Kenya on Wednesday urged environment ministers across the globe to develop policies that will ensure that the environmental pillar and the system of environmental governance is restructured in a manner that will guarantee a stronger mandate with predictable funding for the management of a coherent system.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said an elevated and strengthened UNEP as a specialized international environment institution with universal membership based in Nairobi should take the lead in implementing the environmental agenda in the changing world.
Speaking during an interactive session of the 12th special session of the UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi, Musyoka said he is optimistic that ministers for environment will chart the policy and also ensure the implementation.
"We are encouraged by the ongoing deliberations and negotiations at this forum especially with regard to integrating the approaches of Multilateral Environmental Agreements by creating synergies and incorporating current scientific knowledge in policy decisions," he said.
The Vice President said that the world is facing significant environmental challenges that affect the social and economic well being, noting that cross cutting issues such as climate change, food security, rapid urbanization and population growth had negatively impacted on the environment.
He said Kenya has initiated a project to identify and secure all wildlife migratory routes and corridors with a view to improving the ecological connectivity of the protected area network.
Musyoka said the east African nation's new constitution recognizes the integral role environmental sustainability plays in our development.
He said the government's development blueprint - Vision 2030 which seeks to transform Kenya into middle income country by 2030, identifies flagship projects in the environment sector.
"These include safeguarding our natural capital by protection, restoration and rehabilitation of water catchment areas in the five water towers of Mau, Aberdare, Charangany, Mount Kenya and Mount Elgon," Musyoka said.
He said Kenya has fully embraced Green Growth. "We are currently investing heavily in geothermal, wind and solar power as a way to accelerate economic growth whilst safeguarding the environment," he said.
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