Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed his government’s commitment to implementing global climate change adaptation initiatives.
Kenyatta said this in Nairobi during a virtual high-level session of the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021.
Kenyatta called for concerted global efforts in addressing climate change saying, like COVID-19, the challenge is a reality that the world must confront urgently.
“Kenya commits to implement the adaptation action agenda, but we can only succeed if we all, as a global community, collaborate in this noble endeavour,” Kenyatta said.
The meeting was attended by several world leaders including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, Kenyatta told the summit that Kenya had scaled up its climate change adaptation efforts by mainstreaming the subject into its national development strategies.
“Kenya is already experiencing the multi-fold climate impacts, including erratic rainfall, droughts and increased temperatures.
“To contain this situation, we have scaled up our adaptation efforts; mainstreaming it into our national development strategy,” he said.
The leaders, who spoke during the summit, called for acceleration of climate adaptation efforts so as to safeguard communities from the harmful impacts of a changing climate.
Kenyatta emphasised that by pulling together the world will emerge stronger and more resilient from the dangers posed by climate change.
“Indeed, we can expect to reap the triple dividends of reducing emissions, spurring economic growth and delivering social and environmental benefits,” Kenyatta said.
The president implored world leaders to rally behind efforts to upscale climate adaptation efforts.
He identified agriculture as a top priority in Africa’s climate change adaptation agenda, saying a large percentage of the continent’s population rely on the sector for its survival.
The Kenyan leader said African farmers must be given the tools, information and financial support to enable them to embrace sustainable agricultural practices, respond to changing weather patterns and maximise productivity of their farms.
