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In an address at the end of the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly on Tuesday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta touched upon the many environmental crises facing the world — asserting that it is increasingly evident that they are a part of the journey ahead.
Today is a climate and environment day for Kenya as H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks to the #SecurityCouncil regarding climate change as a multiplier of existing threats to international peace & security. Meanwhile, #UNEA5 wraps up day 2 in Nairobi
— Martin Kimani (@AmbMKimani) February 23, 2021
The East African leader outlined a series of recent environmental issues.
“Wildfires, hurricanes, high-temperature records, unprecedented winter chills, plagues of locusts, floods and droughts have become so commonplace that they do not always make our news headlines.”
In mid-2019, the locust infestation in the Eastern horn of Africa — eventually invading nine countries as the area experienced one of its wettest and inopportune rainy seasons in decades.
In 2020, the continued dessert locust problem affected the food supply and livelihoods of some 2.5 million people — and 3.5 million could be impacted in 2021.
HE President Uhuru Kenyatta has identified climate change, biodiversity loss & pollution as the 3 planetary crises that threaten the world's future.@SpokespersonGoK @PDUDelivery @KCCWG @UNEP @UNDPClimate #UNEA5 Act #ForNature #sustainabledevelopment pic.twitter.com/hnauZkf8RU
— Ministry of Environment and Forestry Kenya (@Environment_Ke) February 23, 2021
During the United Nations Security Council’s videoconference to debate on climate and security, Secretary-General António Guterres also stated that climate disruption is driving displacement across the world.
The Urgency of Climate Change
Kenyatta asserted that many undesired and real consequences of climate issues can be avoided.
“The environment holds and can provide solutions to most of the challenges we face as humanity. And in this regard, Kenya has firmly anchored the environmental pillar in our country’s blueprints, and that is our Kenya Vision 2030 as well as our big four agenda (manufacturing, farming, health care and low-cost housing -ed).”
"It's a reality today that we will have to work in different ways to be responsive to climate change so as to sustain economic development."- H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta.
SUED is working with municipalities to integrate climate-resilience in their urban planning. #InvestInAfrica
— SUEDKenya (@SuedKenya) January 20, 2020
Kenya, one of five new members of the UN Security Council has declared its support for the council’s engagement of climate-security issues.
