Climate change project unveiled in Baringo County

By Joyce Okuta

Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) has begun a one year project implementation on climate change on behalf of Act Change Transform (Act!).

The objective of the project is to enhance community resilience to the impacts of climate change for improved livelihood in Baringo, Kajiado and Laikipia counties.

“The proposed Project will be implemented by ALIN in partnership with the Sunculture Company  from April 2014- April 2015,” said Noah Lusaka ALINs’ Project Manager.

 ALIN and its Partner visited Baringo County to introduce the project and to survey on possible sites for installing linear shower mobile Irrigation system on 28Th April 2014.

A meeting was held at GTI in Kabarnet to highlight and deliberate on climate change issues in the county and how ALIN would partner with various stakeholders to effectively implement the project.

The project is aimed at strengthening policy formulation infrastructure at national and county level. It will tackle a number of issues to address inadequate community capacity and lack of access to appropriate information on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Speaking during the stakeholders meeting, Noah Lusaka said that, ALIN will work closely with county leaders, partners and will hold community consultative meetings to ensure success of the project. 

The county minister for Environment Hon. Caroline Tenges said that community resilience is prioritized in the CIDP and climate change is integrated.

“Communities in Baringo County have been affected by massive soil erosion leading to displacement. My ministry is planning to integrate adaptation and mitigation measures by promoting tree planting in every 10 homesteads.”Said Hon Tenges.

The project will also promote SMART agriculture through promotion of Solar power drip technology, ALIN has partnered with Sunculture Company to achieve this to support Agri-business.

The technology is innovative and will help communities adapt and cope with the effects of climate change increasing their resilience and governance of their scarce natural resources.

The project will play a key role in lobbying for inclusion of climate change in County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and allocation of finances to support climate change.

The team paid courtesy to the ministry of water and irrigation based in Baringo County Head quarters.

Hon. Job Tomno, CEC member for water and irrigation in Baringo County said that the population growth is high and accessibility to water is a challenge to majority of communities in Baringo County. 

“The county has 150,000 acres potential for irrigation yet only 5,000 acres has been utilized.” Added Hon Tomno.

He promised that his ministry will support especially in promoting rain water harvesting for food security and will also give technical support in the ACT project.