Paris (France),
7 September 2009 - Broadcasters from around
the world have joined forces to combat climate
change, acknowledging their essential role
as opinion influencers and urging the industry
to set quantifiable targets for a reduced
carbon footprint.
Participants representing
around 1000 broadcasters agreed upon the
"The Paris Declaration on Broadcast
Media and Climate Change," which will
strengthen regional and international collaboration,
and encourage production and dissemination
of audiovisual content to give a voice to
marginalized populations affected by climate
change.
Delegates at the first
ever UNESCO Broadcast Media and Climate
Change conference in Paris (France) on 4-5
September came together to consider a global
consensus on climate change, and to facilitate
the use of materials between developing
and developed country broadcasters.
"This is a watershed
moment for the broadcasting industry,"
said Satinder Bindra, United Nation Environment
Programme Director of Communications, who
participated in the conference.
"The more allies,
talent and creativity that we can garner
in the fight against climate change and
its dire consequences, the greater the chance
of succeeding in tackling the greatest challenge
of our generation," he added.
The declaration detailed
that an increased public understanding of
the urgency of climate change is essential
to reduce its negative impacts and to avert
human suffering. It also underlined that
access to relevant information on climate
change is vital for human survival, and
that there are significant social, economic
and environmental benefits in taking action
to combat the effects of climate change.
The conference brought
together national broadcasters from developing
and developed countries with representatives
of international broadcasting associations,
regional broadcasting unions, scientific
organizations and climate-related agencies
to discuss the role of the broadcaster in
relation to climate change.
Kenya Launches Multimillion Dollar Appeal
to Restore Vital Mau Forest
Over 25% of Forest Cover
Lost to Ecosystem Encroachments Threatening
Natural Capital, Wildlife and Livelihoods
in Kenya and the Region
UNEP Pledges Continued
Support and Calls for Urgent Action at Strategic
Partners Forum
Nairobi, 9 September
2009 - A multimillion dollar appeal to save
the Mau Forests Complex has been launched
by the Government of Kenya at a Partners
Forum hosted by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
The appeal aims to mobilize
resources for the rehabilitation of the
Mau, the largest closed-canopy forest ecosystem
in Kenya covering over 400,000 hectares
- the size of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares
combined.
The strategic importance
of the Mau Forest lies in the ecosystem
services it provides to Kenya and the region,
including river flow regulation, flood mitigation,
water storage, reduced soil erosion, biodiversity,
carbon sequestration, carbon reservoir and
microclimate regulation.
UN Under-Secretary-General
and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner
said: "The Mau Complex is of critical
importance for sustaining current and future
ecological, social and economic development
in Kenya. The rehabilitation of the ecosystem
will require substantial resources and political
goodwill. UNEP is privileged to work in
partnership with the Government of Kenya
towards the implementation of this vital
project."
Kenyan Prime Minister,
Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga said: "I wish
to thank the Executive Director of UNEP,
Mr. Achim Steiner and his staff for the
informed leadership and technical support
they provided. Today we gather here to define
the way forward for the Mau, I wish to appeal
to every Kenyan and development partner
to support the Government's efforts to rehabilitate
the Mau by ensuring adequate resources are
mobilized to preserve and conserve the ecosystem."
Over the last two decades,
the Mau Complex has lost around 107,000
hectares - approximately 25% - of its forest
cover due to irregular and unplanned settlements,
illegal resources extraction, in particular
logging and charcoal burning, the change
of land use from forest to unsustainable
agriculture and change in ownership from
public to private.
Excised areas include
critical upper water catchments for the
rivers and the lakes fed by the Mau, bamboo
forests and biodiversity rich areas, as
well as parts of the Mau escarpment summit.
Deterioration in the
Mau ecosystem has impacted major natural
assets and development investments around
Kenya.
If encroachment and
unsustainable exploitation of the forest
ecosystem continues, it will only be a matter
of time before the entire ecosystem is irreversibly
damaged with significant socio-economic
consequences and ramifications to internal
security and conflict, warns a report on
the 'Rehabilitation of the Mau Forest Ecosystem',
released by the Kenyan Government's Interim
Coordinating Secretariat for the Mau Forest
Complex.
The Mau Complex is the
single most important source of water for
direct human consumption in the Rift Valley
and Western Kenya.
The report warns that
continued destruction of the forests will
inevitably lead to a water crisis of national
and regional proportions that extend far
beyond the Kenyan borders.
The Mau Complex is the
largest of the five "water towers"
of Kenya, forming the upper catchments of
all main rivers in the Western part of Kenya.
These rivers are the
lifeline of major lakes in Kenya and transboundary
lakes such as Lake Victoria in the Nile
River Basin; Lake Turkana in Kenya and Ethiopia,
and lake Natron in Tanzania and Kenya.
But perennial rivers
are becoming seasonal, storm flows and downstream
flooding are increasing and wells and springs
are drying up. The water stress in the Mau
is largely attributed to land degradation
and deforestation.
At the global level,
there are increasing concerns over biodiversity
loss, increased carbon dioxide emissions
as a result of forest cover loss and poor
soil and water resources.
While climate change
may be a major contributor to the current
crisis, the destruction of the forests has
reduced the ability of the Mau ecosystem
to absorb or reduce the impact of climate
change, increasing the vulnerability of
the people to changing weather patterns.
The appeal for the rehabilitation
of the Mau Forest Ecosystem is launched
at a time when Kenya struggles to cope with
the consequences of widespread drought which
has lead to water and electricity rationing
across the country.
The Task Force report
points out that the extensive degradation
of the Mau Forests Complex could cost Kenya
billions of Kenyan Shillings annually from
losses in key economic sectors supported
by the Mau ecosystem services, including
energy, tourism, agriculture, and water
supply.
Wildlife hubs such as
Lake Nakuru National Park and the Maasai
Mara National Reserve are among the areas
impacted affecting wildlife and tourism
activities.
Energy projects including
Sondu Miriu Hydropower scheme (60 MW), Naivasha
geothermal plants, small hydropower plants
(4MW) and tea growing areas in Kericho Highlands
have also been impacted, among others.
Degradation is likely
to jeopardize current and future development
plans, despite the Mau Complex's significant
economic potential.
The estimated potential
hydropower generation capacity in the Mau
Complex catchments is approximately 535
MW - which is 41% of the current total installed
electricity generation capacity in Kenya.
The growing geothermal
potential in the area is directly dependent
on groundwater. If the water table declines
the geothermal potential diminishes.
Prime Minister Odinga
declared, "Our sights are set high
on rehabilitating the Mau Forest Complex
to function and provide its ecosystem services
to this nation and the Eastern Africa region.
We are looking at securing the livelihoods
and economies of millions of Africans who
directly and indirectly depend on the ecosystem."
Key Interventions
The restoration of the
Mau is a strategic priority that requires
substantial resources and political will.
A ten-point intervention plan has been identified
by the Interim Coordinating Secretariat
to implement the recommendations of the
Mau Forest Task Force for immediate and
medium-term action. Key interventions include:
Creation of Effective
Institutional Frameworks
Strategic Management Plan for the Mau Forest
Complex
Public Awareness and Community Sensitization
Boundary surveys and Issuance of Title Deeds
for Forest Blocks
Monitoring and Enforcement
Relocation and Resettlement
Livelihood Support and Development
Restoration and Replanting of degraded Sites
Private Sector Investment
Resource Mobilization
Looking forward, environmental
stability and secured provision of ecological
goods and services will remain essential
to attain sustainable development in Kenya.
They are cross-cutting, underlying requirements
to achieve vision 2030 - Kenya's development
blueprint.
UNEP Media Team
Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson and Head of Media
Shereen Zorba, Newsdesk
Office of the Prime
Minister
Dennis Onyango, Director of Communicatons
& Spokesperson
