CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION: MAKUENI COUNTY SETS PHASE

Makueni County is the first within the region to pass regulations on Climate Change. It has partnered with: UKAID, Ada Consortium, Christian Aid and Anglican Development Services Eastern (ADSE). As a result, the County has been at a position of accessing Kshs 50M seed money for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

Past global efforts in dealing with problem of climate change concentrated on mitigation with aim of reducing the effects of changing climate. With slow progress in achieving this, adaptation has been viewed as a viable option to reduce vulnerability and the anticipated negative impacts of climate change. Common understanding is that adaptation and mitigation ought to be pursued as complimentary but not independently. Large portion of Kenyan Land mass is characterized by severe and frequent droughts with records dating back into centuries. Farmers in this ASALs have always been facing climatic variability at intra and inter annual and decadal time scales. While coping and adaptation strategies have been classified in to crop diversification, livelihood diversification, pastoral mobility and population migration different legislative structure and international convections have been put in place to address the effects and dangers associated with climate Change

On 12^th December 2015, 196 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), during COP 21 conference held at Paris adopted the Paris Agreement, a legally-binding framework for internationally coordinating efforts to tackle climate change culminating six years of international climate change negations under the auspices of UNFCCC. The framework set out four articulate steps which are putting emphasis on the processes rather than goals, unlike the Kyoto protocol which had specific emission targets, this one relies on voluntary mitigation contributions by member states. The Paris Agreement also establishes global warming goal well below 2°C, this requires party states to formulate progressively more ambitious climate change targets consistent with the goal the agreement also establishes the obligation of all parties to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The agreement too recognizes the different starting points and responsibilities of countries and emphasizes the agreement to be implemented in accordance with the principal of common but differentiated responsibilities in respect to capabilities

Makueni County which lies in Arid and semi arid ecological zone has established County climate change fund to step up efforts to combat effects of climate change to its citizenry. The CCCF has enable the county to access climate change finance from Adaptation consortium through funding from DFID. The county through the CCCF did set aside 1% of its revenue to be channeled towards climate change adaptation and mitigation which is big plus for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Through the CCCF the county has identified six pilot wards for implementation of the climate change adaptation and resilience projects, the wards are Mtito-Andei, Nguu Masumba, Kilungu, Mbitini, Kithungo Kitundu and Kiima Kiu Kalanzoni wards. This marks a great step towards creating farmers resilience to climate change.

Through the leadership of Governor H.E Kivutha Kibwana, Deputy Governor H.E Adeline Mwau and Hon Douglus Mbilu ( CEC Water and Environmental Services), farmers of Makueni county are in safe hands in matters relating to Climate change

Article by

Andrew Muendo Nyamu

Project officer Agriculture Innovations and Climate Change

Inades Formation Kenya

www.andrewnyamuconservation.blogspot.co.ke