Experts have said that climate change is likely to cause worse weather conditions should the government fail to take immediate action.
A report titled, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has shed light on the reality that is facing humanity and faulted governments for failing to act on imminent threats that are facing the globe.
The 6th IPCC report warned of extreme events.
They include rise in global temperature leading to drought or flooding.
Kenya is already feeling the effects of climate change especially in North Eastern.
The government declared drought a national disaster recently.
In other parts of the country like Homa Bay, hundreds of families have been living in flooded homes for more than one year due to the rise in the level of Lake Victoria which is said to have been caused by climate change.
Scientists are now sounding the alarm that continuous degradation of the environment will lead to severe conditions in other parts of the country as well.
Mr Clifford Omondi, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and a member of the Environment Institute of Kenya points fingers at human activities to this problem.
He warned that it will be impossible to reverse some conditions which are likely to harm humans in the near future.
Lake Victoria started rising in early 2020 and displaced more than 200,000 people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which share the water body.
According to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, water in Lake Victoria rose to a new record level of 13.42 meter –marginally higher than the 13.41 metre mark recorded in 1964.
The IPCC report said the rise in water level in the lake and other extreme events that affect the elements of the ecosystem is a clear indication that climate change is real and it is taking place now.
According to the report, other evidence of climate change include decline in aquatic life, extreme temperature and heat wave, acidification of water bodies among others.
Mr Omondi said, locally, signs of climate change include clear skies over a large area, depletion of wetlands, dry wind, abnormal erosion and excess rainfall.
“We all need to take this issue seriously because it is affecting us all. In Kenya, some of the signs of climate change have not been witnessed fully. However, their consequences will be felt soon,” he warned.
IPCC revealed that there is a rapid increase in surface temperature and a rise in greenhouse gases.
The report also revealed that sea level is rising at a higher rate because of the fast meltdown of ice at the polars.
“Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 were higher in 2019 than any time in two million years. Concentration of methane was also higher in the same year than any time in 800,000 years,” read part of the report.
This means the global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than any 50 year period.
Moreover the report said the earth is warming every day and at a rapid rate and cools at a slower rate.
The document states that in the next 20 years, emission of greenhouse gases will continue with varying rates.
This will increase the concentration of greenhouse gases leading to rise in global surface temperature.
Mr Omondi said this is the reason why many countries are witnessing major volcanic eruptions and change in wind patterns which influence the climate.
Further rise in surface temperature makes the land warm up faster than water therefore affecting weather partners, mainly precipitation.
Mr Omondi said water surfaces should warm up faster than land for rain formation.
“The effect of this is that some areas will have excess precipitation leading to meteorological drought while others will have none resulting in ecological drought. There will be hydrological drought leading to floods in some areas and drought in other areas,” the environmentalist said.
The IPCC report challenged state agencies on environment, environment activists and other organizations championing for a better environment to move with speed and address the challenges to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Mr Omondi said time is running out and county governments should formulate and adopt policies on how to curb the effects of climate change.
“Let us not wait for the rain to beat us before we react. The IPCC report should be taken seriously and its recommendations put to practice,” he said.
Homa Bay, which is one of the counties suffering from severe floods and drought in different seasons, climate adaptation policy is yet to be implemented with families living in flood prone areas like lower parts of Rachuonyo North and Rangwe worried about their future.
Mr Willis Omullo, an environment activist and climate change ambassador in the county said the policy will enable the devolved unit to receive funds to address the effects of climate change.
“I helped in formulation of a climate change policy. It is unfortunate that the county assembly has failed to pass it. Climate change is real and we should all act now to save the future generation,” he said.
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Kenya has already joined hands with other developing countries ahead of crucial talks to demand that top nations fulfill past pledges and take more responsibilities as the effects of climate change become more adverse.
In the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which will start in Glasgow, Scotland will be the 26th gathering of the conference of parties (COP) that form UNFCCC
Developed nations which produce 85 per cent of emissions that cause global warming are supposed to support developing countries that suffer from the effects of the greenhouse gases.
Kenya will be represented by Environment CS Keriako Tobiko.
