HOW TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE USING SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION 

Climate change is a long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth.

It has been realized that Kenya’s geographical location and low adaptive capacity make it very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The African continent in itself has a relatively warm climate, poor soils and high variability in rainfalls and floods. These variations, which are likely to increase with climate change, have a major impact on key sectors such as agriculture, and on levels of poverty and disease. Science, Technology and Innovation therefore, have an indispensable role to play in efforts to understand and manage the full implications of climate change.

Among the many challenges that must be faced are the effects of climate change, access to clean water and health issues such as new flu viruses. But as problems arise, cities will also be the main laboratories for finding the answers. Science, Technology and Innovation must be at the center of these solutions. And it is in mega-cities that most of the cutting-edge science and technology developments are taking place.

In addition to that, Climate change presents many opportunities for Kenya and could serve as a catalyst to build more efficient, low-carbon economies to guarantee Kenya’s future development. For this goal to be realized, Kenya may have to develop innovative policies for climate change to guide the design of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks and investment of human, financial and technological resources in development, and the acquisition, adaptation and diffusion of “green technologies and products”. Therefore, Science, Technology and Innovation policy for climate change is required to build capacity to respond effectively to the numerous threats and opportunities of climate change.

In understanding planning and adapting to a changing climate, innovation and innovative approaches are important for Kenya and other African countries to take advantage of opportunities and reduce risks. This is because innovation will bring new products, processes and services that could improve and enhance adaptation and mitigation strategies. As such, innovation will determine the ability of Kenya to generate new and improved products and processes to meet the challenges of climate change.

For an innovative country, Kenya, there are innovative approaches that must be considered to monitor transient water levels and for improved water harvesting and saving technologies. For instance, satellite technology can be used for daily monitoring of river levels and soil moisture, for efficient water resource management, especially in trans-boundary waterways.

Moreover, opportunities for developing countries like Kenya include carbon trading to raise revenues for Global Green House Gas emissions reducing projects that also contribute to sustainable development that we need to explore.

Producing and promoting drought tolerant diseases and pest resistant as well as early warning crop varieties through geographical information systems to map the spatial distribution of integrating early warning systems.

Promote energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies e.g. solar wind and biomass

Energy efficient innovations and technologies for instance  fuel from agricultural wastes bagasse from sugarcane.

Impact of climate change in Kenya improve climate friendly technologies as well as developing new ones.

Severe impact of the climate change could easily erode the progress so far made in attainment of vision 2030 and strive to mitigate its effects by adopting appropriate technologies.

 Climate change Pose threats to sustainable development as it negatively impacts virtually all sectors including health, agriculture, forestry and water resources.

Design specific research areas to address the impact, adaptation and ways to reduce vulnerability to climate change and devise ways of coping with the menace.