By Zaccheaus Mwendwa
In the
earlier days, the environment of Kyuso district was so good and admirable, with
a lot of wild animals and large reptiles such as snakes, monitor lizard among others.
The place was known for a dense forest cover and there were no bare lands and mushrooming
of rivers as it is today.
However, due
to increase in population in Kyuso district, the forests that existed have ceased
due to human activities such as wood fuel, construction materials, herbal
medicines, farming as well as livestock keeping resulting to land bareness.
According to
Cassandra Clare, “too much of anything could destroy you, too much darkness
could kill, but too much light could blind.” Kyuso area environment has been
facing threats due to various factors. First, the informed and learned are
exploiting the forest for charcoal and construction poles before the rest could
realize its importance. Secondly, others are destroying the forest cover due to
lack of knowledge on its serious effects. Such people practice activities such
as overstocking and shift cultivation methods of farming.
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| Section of parched land(Photo:Zaccheus Mwendwa/KVC) |
Due to interventions from the government and
non-government organizations Kyuso residents have come to know the relationship
between environmental degradation and the human activities and also ways to
adapt to the changing climate. One other action plan the communality is taking
is practicing reforestations of 135.2km2 gazetted government forest
with an aim of lowering the temperature ranges from 34oc-14oc
and the forest cover can reduce the carbon emission in the air and hence giving
out enough oxygen which is essential for human survival.
In the recent
past the ministry of youth in Kyuso through Kazi Kwa Vijana initiative
supported the youths with tree seedlings, which were planted in various centres
including hospitals and schools compounds. Tree planting in schools was a pace-setter
for pupils and students so that when they complete their education courses they
would remember to conserve the environment in any way. “We as women unions and groups
are among the beneficiaries of environmental conservation training,” said Kalunge.
It is expected
that through the training conducted; the forest cover may increase in the
larger Mwingi. Talking to Kyuso resident, who is also a charcoal burner, he
highlighted that charcoal burning is the source of livelihood and nobody should
prevent them from doing it since it’s their only source of money, which is
sometimes used for paying school fees.
Kenya Forest
Services officials in Kyuso lifted the ban on charcoal burning and sale but
under condition that there is sustainable charcoal burning to stop forest
destruction and ensure constant supply of fuel to the families that cannot
afford alternative fuel. This is under the new Forest Act. The rules is
currently enforced by the Kenya forest services (KFS) with the help of Office
of the President Kyuso.
Kyuso residents are appealing to county government,
to put more efforts on environmental conservation through youth and women
enterprise funds in order to overcome the disaster of climate change.
When asked who’s
to blame for environmental degradation, Mwikali who is a resident of Kyuso said, “ by then, the residents were not
informed on the danger of destroying the environment especially cutting trees,
if they were, they could have taken care before this situation could not have occured”.
One of the
achievements of most of the non-governmental organizations working to mitigate
and adapt to climate change is to bring a new image on the people of Kyuso.
Efficient and equitable environment management that achieves climate change
benefits and alleviates poverty.
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