The word ‘environment’ is widely used and has a broad range of definitions, interpretations and meanings. So what does the term ‘environment’ mean? In general, for some people, simply, ‘nature’: in other words, the natural landscape together with all of its non-human features, characteristics and processes. According to P. Gisbert “Environment is anything immediately surrounding an object and exerting a direct influence on it.” Therefore, the central underlying assumption is that the ‘environment’ exists in some kind of relation to humans.
An Environment is divided into two components Micro environment and Macro environment. It can also be divided into two other types such as (a) Physical and (b) biotic environment.
(a) Micro environment refers to the immediate local surrounding of the organism. For example, a small ant colony in the sand. Crustaceans in the deep sea and etc.
(b) Macro environment refers to all the physical and biotic conditions that surround the organism externally.
(c) Physical environment refers to all abiotic factors or conditions like temperature, light, rainfall, soil, minerals etc. It comprises of atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.
(d) Biotic environment includes all biotic factors or living forms like plants, animals, Micro-organisms.
Kenya is an East African country, its positioned on the Equator, yet it has three types of climate: hot and humid along the coast, temperate in the west and south-west, where there are mountains and plateaus, and finally, hot and dry in the north and east. In general, the warmest period in Kenya is from January to March, while the coolest is from July to August, although the seasonal variations in temperature are small. Both temperature and rainfall vary according to the prevailing winds, which produce two seasons: from October to March, the hot and originally dry winds coming from Arabia prevail, while from April to September, the prevailing winds are cooler and wetter and blow from the Indian Ocean. There are the two rainy seasons: the “long rains” from March to May, and the less intense “short rains” from October to December, while in the western highlands, it rains a lot even between June and September. The rains mainly occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, and are pretty irregular: on the one hand, with global warming, the rainfall in some areas is declining. This country has been blessed with various natural features such The Great Rift valley which is a massive ridge that runs from North (L. Turkana) and South (L. Natron) of the country. Mt Kenya which the second highest mountain in Africa,5199m above sea level, located in central Kenya. Also a couple of national reserves and physical attractions such the Maasai Mara National reserve, Amboseli National Reserve, Samburu National reserves, Yatta plateau in Taita taveta,14 Falls in Thika and many others.
As we admire the gorgeous habitat that God has gift us with, it faces various challenges that affect the livelihood of organisms which it operates in. According to a recent State of Environment Report of Kenya, a new publication produced by the Kenyan National Environment Authority (NEMA) highlights a number of environmental problems in the country. These include deforestation, waste disposal problems, biodiversity loss and pollution issues. Due to inadequate capacity and financial constraints, solid waste including radioactive waste that poses an environmental and health threat to Kenya, according to the report. Poor sanitation and drainage not only affect the ground water due to leachates from the garbage dumps in urban areas, but also favours the breeding of mosquitoes, increasing malaria prevalence. Pollution contributes to the degradation of marine resources, the erosion of coastlines and the introduction of unknown fungal diseases affecting corals. The report also points out the effects poverty has on the environment through unsustainable livelihood practices and the continued unsustainable use of natural resources. In addition, the danger of flooding has increased, due to continued deforestation causing erosion and uncontrolled water runoff. Biodiversity loss is also of concern; as traditional agriculture systems are being replaced by high input agriculture. from siltation, reduced inflow, over-fishing and introduction of new species. One reason identified for these environmental problems was the low priority given to environmental issues, and the lack of financial resources to initiate environmental activities.
So how do we correct and prevent these problems from taking place and how do we protect and conserve our environment? First and foremost, I believe educating people on environmental conservation can be a major driver of increased awareness. Environmental education has been discussed internationally since the 1970s, with leading global organizations (UNESCO and UNEP) establishing programmes and guidance on how to integrate environmental teachings into education curricula and certification schemes for schools. Secondly, managing our natural resources: can we build more for less? Of course we know that resources are finite but nature’s cycles go on maintaining an environment capable of sustaining life. Natural resources and the raw materials they provide are part of this balance. They are also the basis of our economies. Unfortunately for the planet’s balancing act, the more of these materials we consume, the more environmental pollution we cause. Therefore, we should make a bigger effort in sustainable waste and materials management i.e. governments can encourage resource productivity, through fees for the use of resources, charges for environmental damage, or by supporting longer product lifespans such as through increased legal minimum warranty periods. Also other small but significant measures like collecting rain water and save it to water your lawn. You can buy rainwater barrels at your home for usage, take part in planting tree programmes, using re-usable items over single use items, recycle properly, reduce driving vehicles and many others.
I would like to conclude by a statement made by Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn, the President of the UN Environment assembly which is the highest –level environment forum where heads of state, environment ministers and dignitaries come to discuss and make global commitments to environment protection. “Nature is the foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature is the solution we in many ways take for granted, but that we cannot afford to lose. Building on the ‘super year for nature’ and the strong knowledge base on the critical status for nature, I hope we, in one year, can agree on significant opportunities and changes that need to happen to turn the trend for nature and the Sustainable Development Goals,”
There we as Joined As One Relief (JAOR) we believe saving the environment is today’s need and we are ready to be among lead advocates of environment conservation in Kenya and the world at large.
– Yasin Idris