biodiversity

Can the world solve the climate crisis without tackling degradation?

Nairobi Kenya: World leaders gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, 50 years ago, and remarked that man is both a creature and a moulder of his environment. The environment provides physical nourishment (food, air, and nutrients) as well as opportunities for intellectual, moral, social, and spiritual growth. The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was…

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How a Kenyan community is saving one tree at a time.

Limuru Kenya: The Kereita forest in Kenya is a crucial water catchment area and home to the endangered Abbott’s Starling bird as well as threatened tree species such as Prunus africana, which is threatened for its medicinal value. The Kikuyu Escarpment Forest is made up of eight blocks, one of which being Kereita Forest. The escarpment is part of the southern Aberdare or Nyandarua Mountains, an isolated volcanic range that forms the Great Rift Valley’s easternmost border. Kereita Forest covers an area of 4,722 hectares. 80% of the trees here are indigenous, with the remaining 20% being planted. This forest’s rivers and streams flow into the Athi River downstream, making it a major water catchment area.The Athi River is Kenya’s second-longest river. Why is biodiversity important not just for wild creatures but also for human survival? In the 1970s, the local people raided the forest for firewood to stay warm during the cold weather. Deforestation peaked in the early 1990s, according to Mary Wambui, a 60-year-old mother of five who lives approximately two kilometres from Kereita forest. Kenyan officials prohibited access to the forest. However, local women would still sneak into the forest on a daily basis because wood was the sole source of heat for their families. At the same time, a group of young locals dedicated to defend Kereita Forest formed. They began educating the villagers about alternative energy sources such as biogas and fuel-efficient stoves. The group urged them to plant trees on their fields and to experiment with novel farming and culinary ways in order to protect the forest and its resources. How have conservation efforts aided in the preservation of this Kenyan forest?

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Biodiversity is not just about Wild animals but humanity’s survival.

Nairobi Kenya: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth as well as the natural patterns it creates. According to the United Nations, species are disappearing at a rate that is 50–100 times greater than usual, and this rate is projected to increase dramatically. Roughly 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species, including one-eighth of…

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COP27: Not the solution to the global climate crisis?.

Ahead of the 27thUN climate summit (COP27), the youth and other groups have called on world leaders to urgently cut down their emissions to limit warming to 1.5°C to reduce the future impact of climate change on humans and ecological systems. Against the backdrop of the recent global disruption events such as the Russia/Ukraine-instigated energy…

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Endorois women in Kenya rally villagers to save community swamp.

Kenyan minority indigenous community – the Endorois live around Lake Bogoria in Baringo County in Kenya’s Rift valley.In 1970’s they lost their grazing ground when Lake Baringo was registered a national reserve. The remaining swamp – Kiborgoch or Loboi swamp stated shrinking in the 1990’s due to land degradation and wildfires. The Women depend on…

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