Climate Change and Environmental Security Management in Kenya: a Case Study of National Environmental Management Authority

Abstract

Climate change has drawn a lot of interest among scholars in recent years, especially in the field of diplomacy and international studies. Researchers and specialists have for a number of years now intimated that there is significant climate change taking place as a result of human activity, leading to increasingly high levels of GHG emissions, to the extent that it has caused a significant shift in the general global environment, with substantial impacts on human security. Environmental security is one of the seven recognised elements of human security which refers to the security in the surroundings where people inhabit, and therefore greatly influencesthe sustenance of life. Climate change manifests itself in the form of Temperature changes and changes in precipitation. Climate change has caused rapid temperature rise and erratic rainfall, in recent years, both of which have a significant bearing in the ability of the environment to sustain life. Among the areas affected include agricultural systems, water availability, ecological services, forestry activities, biodiversity, coastal systems, health, and subsequent food security, all of which are pertinent to survival of human systems. Kenya being one of the states in Africa is one of the most vulnerable to climate change, despite the fact that it makes insignificant contribution to global Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. This vulnerability is manifested because the country relies heavily on natural systems including rain-fed agriculture for the very survival of its people. As a result, climate change effects such as prolonged and recurring droughts and flush floods directly affect the livelihood of the people. In addition, the limited resources available to Kenya for mitigation or adaptation to climate change makes it difficult to cope with climate change, thus rendering it susceptible to the effects of the harsh conditions caused by climate change. The need to tackle climate change and environmental security therefore cannot be gainsaid. In Africa however, managing climate change presents several challenges owing to among other factors, the scarcity of resources, and limited capacity to confront the impacts of climate change. This study examines the challenges Kenya faces in managing climate change while studying the National Environmental Management Authority as a case study.The institution is the Government body mandated with the management and coordination of environmental issues in Kenya. This study, examined the theoretical linkages between climate change, environmental security, and the role of other actors including other states, non-state actors in managing the impacts of climate change in Kenya. The study extensively used secondary data as well as primary data which was obtained through semi-structured and unstructured interviews. Secondary data relied on the internet and library research. The major findings of the study are that Kenya’s environmental management institutions encountera number of challenges in dealing with climate change, some of the challenges being the limited capacity to monitor or ensure compliance especially among lead agencies; the lack of coherencein environment related policies; and funding of projects from the various donor groups; the challenge in collecting and maintaining data; and the limited resources to cope with the requirements to mitigate and adapt to climate change.Some of the solutions the study proposes include strengthening of institutions dealing with climate change and effective regional and international cooperation in dealing with the challenges.