Climate Experts Call for Concerted Effort in Combating Climate Change

 

Prof. Solomon Shibairo together with the Bungoma County Climate advocacy champions after a five-day training workshop

Climate change experts drawn from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology led by the Director, Institute of Indigenous Knowledge, Cultural Studies and Climate Change, Prof. Josephine Ngaira and the Dean, of School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Dr. Ferdinand Nabiswa, have called for concerted effort in combating climate change. This was during a five-day in-depth training on building inclusive climate change resilience for Bungoma County Climate advocacy champions that was held from 21st to 25th August 2023 in Bungoma County.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the training, the MMUST Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo applauded the efforts put in place by the trainers to ensure that there is adequate awareness about climate change. He expressed delight in MMUST being at the forefront of generating knowledge on climate change and the mitigation measures required to adjust to the effects of climate change.

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Prof. Solomon Shibairo addressing the Bungoma County Climate advocacy champions during the closing ceremony of a five-day training workshop

 “Am deeply impressed that all of you have developed an interest in understanding matters of climate change. As the theme of this workshop states, climate change is here with use, we need to change our behavior and align with the change in climatic conditions. It is our mandate to mitigate further change in climate to care of future generations. As a university, and in partnership with other environmental organizations we have embarked on planting as many trees as possible, as a way of mitigating climate change,” said Prof. Shibairo.

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Prof. Solomon Shibairo handing over a certificate to one of the Bungoma County Climate advocacy champions during the closing ceremony of a five-day training workshop

Areas covered by the training included Basic Climate Change Science, Causes, Impact and Indicators of Climate Change, Inclusive Climate Change Resilience, Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge, and Climate Change and Disaster Management. Methods of delivery were films, photographs, and PowerPoint presentations. The trainers were Dr. Edward Mugalavai, Dr. Ernest Otieno Oduori, Dr. Namenya Naburi, and Mr. Japheth Ogenga

This training workshop was organized and funded by the Kenya Red Cross Society under the leadership of Dr. Ferdinand Nabiswa who stressed the need to have many champions of climate change as a way of sensitizing members of the community on ways of dealing with the effects of climate change. 

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Dr. Ferdinand Nabiswa addressing the Bungoma County Climate advocacy champions during the closing ceremony of a five-day training workshop

In the ongoing 2nd Health & Climate Change Conference dubbed Towards Delivery of Climate Resilient Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Leveraging on Blue and Green Economy, it has been discovered that there is a resurgence of communicable diseases that are directly linked to climate change. Planting more trees has been identified as a major step towards combating the effects of climate change.

By Shiundu Masafu