May 16, 2014 For immediate release: Nairobi – Kenya, AFRICA AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS: THE PLANTS ARE ALSO CRYING In the face of the devastating impacts of climate change on African rural communities, forest dwellers and Indigenous people, The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has for the past 18 months engaged indigenous forest communities on an initiative dubbed Capacity Building Project for African Civil Society and Indigenous communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The project is aimed at creating an enabling environment for effective uptake of forest conservation in the three countries. At the well-attended training held in Narok, Kenya, community representatives told their stories on the impact of climate change in their locality. “The rain is running away even from our vegetables” Said Mr. Titus Sururu an elderly man in the community who expressed the alarming rate at which the community is being impacted by Climate Change over the years. “Nowadays, the rain chooses where it falls, it does not rain on our farms but on trees in the Forest” Said John Nkuito, One of the community representative The two weeks training which started May 2, 2014 was held in Mau Forest region was part of the series of trainings in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia under the project. The training provided valuable pool of forest ecosystem knowledge on the national and cultural landscape that should guide trade-offs and critical land use, providing local and indigenous communities with capacity to measure and monitor carbon stocks within private, public and communal land scapes among others. On the side-line of this training and in ensuring gender issues are mainstreamed in the project, PACJA held sessions on engendering the management of the forest ecosystem during the training period. As part of ensuring gender concerns are taken into consideration in climate change adaptation and mitigation, the community formed a committee which will continue with the awareness creation and also inform the development of policies and plans related to land use and natural resource management. The participant underscored the urgent need to conserve the forest and derived all the benefits that come with the practice. The need for effective collaboration between the Kenyan government through the Kenya Forest Service and indigenous communities in preserving the forest as well as natural resource management were some of the high points during the training. The community Chief, Mr. Samson Kahare lauded PACJA’s efforts in amplifying the voice of the voiceless and going ahead to even implement practical projects that has direct benefit to the people at the grassroot. He called on Kenya Government to compliments the Alliance effort through the formulation of policies and programmes that will check deforestation and improve the livelihoods of Indigenous people. Speaking during the event, Samson Ogallah, Programme Manager, PACJA called on the participants to put into practice all what they learnt from the training. “PACJA will not relent in its effort in advocating for pro poor and people centred policy that will address the challenges of Climate Change in Africa and its impacts on the people especially the indigenous people and communities” Added Ogallah. Note to the Editor: Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is a continental coalition of Civil Society Organizations from diverse backgrounds in African; The Alliance has emerged as the most vibrant and largest Civil Society platform on climate change and sustainable development. With a membership of more than 800 organizations and networks, the Alliance brings together Faith-based Organizations, Farmers and Pastoralists` Groups, Community-based organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, Trusts, Foundations, among other sectors with a common goal of promoting and advocating for Pro-poor, climate-friendly and equity-based responses to climate change.
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 13:28:06 +0000
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