The Juatenda Overall Best Essay

 The Juatenda Overall Best Essay BY KENNEDY KOECH KIPNG'ETICH

Environmental issues affecting Mount Kenya region and its surrounding

It is high time we believe in philosophical statement given by our late prof. Wangari Maathai who was also the winner of the Nobel Prize that if we destroy the nature, the nature will destroy us. The environment we live in act as a security for our lives depending on how we treat it and therefore it calls for it conservancy at all cost.

Environmental challenges arises whenever there is a change in the quality or quantity of any environmental factor which directly or indirectly affect the health and well-being of human beings in a variety of ways. Most of the environmental challenges arise from human activities meaning that in can also be controlled by human beings.

Mount Kenya is the highest peak in Kenya at a height of 5199m above the sea level. It was once thickly covered with thick indigenous forest and is considered one of the most ecological and economic resource in Kenya. It is major water catchment area and supply water to a large portion of population living in its surrounding.

Despite this crucial role it plays to Kenya as a nation, it is currently facing many complex threats resulting from activities of people living within its vicinity. Some of these activities include illegal logging for timber and charcoal, encroachment for settlement and agriculture. All this activities have negative implication on the well-being of the citizens if the concerned authorities do not take immediate action to prevent further destruction of the environmental resources in the region.

The business of charcoal has increased tremendously due to the fact that the population is increasing rapidly because of the setting up of institutions of higher learning such as Universities. Demand for fuel wood both locally and from surrounding urban centres also promote vegetation clearance especially for charcoal burning. For example a sack of charcoal cost Ksh.1000 in most towns in the region, forcing many unemployed people to take advantage and involve in charcoal business. Burning of charcoal is the most severe cause of environmental challenge in Mount Kenya region and has increased and has led to reduction of indigenous plant species.

Weather patterns have changed over the past few years owing to massive destruction of environment, notably deforestation. Drought used to be less frequent phenomenon in the region but now it is striking the area as never before affecting farming activities. Water shortage has become a challenge as most people depend on water for domestic use and irrigation. This has further caused food shortages and hence productivity of the people living in the area.

Deforestation as a major threat to environmental conservation not only have caused drought but also increase in temperature which in turn has cause melting of ice on top of Mount Kenya. The result is bursting of river banks causing floods in low lying areas. Increased temperature has also led to increase in pest infestation causing diseases affecting crops and human beings.

Most areas in the region have steep slopes and loose soil which can be easily washed away by rain water. Soil erosion is another environmental challenge which if not well managed; it can lead to infertility of the soil and thus affecting crop yields and hence poor crop production. The factor which accelerates soil erosion is farming in steep slope.

Poor farming methods have contributed to soil erosion in most areas within this region. Mono-cropping and failure to plant cover crops are other factors facilitating soil erosion. It also causes soil and water pollution. Application of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides has impacted water bodies and soil negatively. Some of these chemicals destroy aquatic life. However, most of the farmers are not aware of the consequences of their actions. Creation of awareness to eradicate negligence on the side of farmers is the best way to go in curbing further destruction of environment.

The aesthetic value of the environment continues to diminish drastically. Natural tree species add beauty to the land and enrich soil with nutrient on top of providing cover to minimize soil erosion. Exposure of soil to erosive agents leads to land becoming bare and ugly. Destruction of indigenous tree species and introduction of exotic ones do not augur well with the environment because most of them drain a lot of water from the rivers causing them to dry up. Most trees in Mount Kenya region are now exotic posing environmental challenge to the residents.  Trees purify air we breathe. Most of the airborne diseases witnessed in most parts of Mount Kenya region are indirectly caused by destruction of environment.

Overpopulation is exerting negative influence on the environment due to straining of available resources. People have encroached forest for farming land. This is because of shortages of land for farming. The forested areas have turned to farming land meaning that as the population increase, the forest coverage reduces.

The same population growth has led to increase in soil, water and air pollution in the area. Most of the youths are suffering from unemployment, a factor which drives them to urban areas and thus increasing the rate of pollution. The main pollutants in these towns are solid waste and non-biodegradable wastes. The rate at which garbage is being collected is lower than the rate at which they are deposited due to increased number of households. It should be remembered that these people are living in slums poor in hygiene conditions. The actual size of the population threatens the environment. It causes a problem because more food has to be produced on ever fewer resources.

         

The extraction of minerals such as building stones and sands in the eastern region of Mount Kenya especially near Chogoria has greatly affected the landscape in that after the mining the pits remain open. These pits may allow water to accumulate and thus acting as good breeding ground for anopheles mosquitoes which in turn causes spread of malaria in the vicinity. Lack of strict rules and ignorance by the associated companies are the most propellants of the environmental degradation which pose health issues to the residents living around the area.

There is a need to take up proactive strategies in the management of natural disasters so as to improve the copying capacity of communities, reduce the impact and hence improve the lives of Kenyans living in the areas susceptible to harsh weather conditions. Negative changes of environment may lead to increased mortality, increased frequency of diseases, lower nutritional status as a result of decreased agricultural productivity and decreased aesthetic value of land.

Juatenda project through its series of programs is awakening call for government, non-government institution and citizens to pay special attention to environment conservation. The future generations are likely to suffer most if we continue to destroy nature. The natural resources are becoming depleted at faster rate sending a strong message that a time of scarcity is coming.