This Environment Action Plan provides a means of reporting on environmental issues and progress toward attaining sustainable development in the County, through planning, implementation, and monitoring of all matters relating to environmental management. The Vision of the Action Plan makes the County the strategic enabler for a transformative development agenda spurred by sustainable harnessing of the County’s natural resources in a clean and healthy environment. The Mission aims at sustainably integrating harnessing of the County’s natural resources to spur socioeconomic development and mindset change. The Action Plan provides a framework for coordinating environmental activities by all stakeholders, including the private sector and government, to guide the course of development activities. It provides strategies for conserving, protecting, using, and managing natural resources and the environment in general, in order to integrate and mainstream environmental matters in developmental and sectoral plans of the County, to alleviate poverty, and change the infeasible mindsets on natural resource use in a clean and healthy environment as provided for by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Action Plan outlines the strategies that will enable sound governance of the environment and natural resources to promote sustainable development in the following relevant sectors and areas: population, environment and development; land use and soils; climate change and variability; aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; agriculture, livestock and fisheries; energy and mining; health, sanitation and waste; environmental hazards and disasters; environmental education, awareness and communication; environmental governance. The Action Plan describes the following proposed interventions and actions: mainstreaming gender, youth, children, and people with special needs in environmental conservation initiatives; promoting community engagement and behavioural change through public awareness campaigns on environmental conservation and protection; developing proper waste management mechanisms, including incentives for recycling; strengthening implementation of urban planning and County spatial plans; improving circular economy, including organic waste composting for agriculture and biogas production; increasing agroforestry, terracing and reforestation measures; using gabions and grass strips for erosion control; developing rotational grazing and fodder production, forest protection programmes, and water pans and rainwater harvesting systems; enforcement of land subdivision policy; strengthening government budgetary allocation for climate change mitigation and adaptations, and improving capacity building on early warning systems; promoting wetlands management, and soil and water conservation initiatives; undertaking research, capacity building, and monitoring of alien and invasive species; ensuring restoration of riparian zones through tree planting and wetlands protection; strengthening conservation of water sources and catchments; creating awareness of encroachment into water sources; promoting sustainable water resource management by regulating water abstraction, enforcing water-use permits and quotas; developing initiatives for farms to reduce reliance on river water and promote the adoption of efficient irrigation methods such as climate smart irrigation techniques; promoting treatment of wastewater for irrigation; promoting pollution control and water quality management with agroecological farming practices; implementing survey and demarcation of riparian zones; promoting drought resilience strategies by planting water efficient crops, alternative livelihood; promoting biodiversity conservation and habitat protection by creating designated wildlife water access points to reduce human-wildlife conflicts over freshwater resources; increasing construction of dams and water storage facilities; undertaking animal vaccination, deworming, and administration of vitamin boosters; undertaking training on pest and disease control; strengthening food safety and post-harvest management; preserving the wildlife habitats and migratory corridors; ensuring measures for protection of forest fires and control of forest pests and diseases; promoting reliable and affordable energy access; mapping out the minerals inwards that are not utilised; implementing conversion of old petroleum pipes for water extension; adopting clean mining technologies.
Kenya · 2025-01-01