National parks and biodiversity
Kenya boasts a wide variety of natural environments. Its 34 nature reserves and 27 national parks include the following:
Mount Kenya National Park: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it protects Mount Kenya and its forests. A former volcano, it boasts exceptional biodiversity and awe-inspiring scenery.
Lake Turkana National Parks (Sibiloi National Park, Central Island National Park, South Island National Park): home to the ecosystems of the Turkana Salt Lake, habitat of migratory birds and breeding ground for numerous species. It has been on the World Heritage in Danger list since 2018.
Amboseli National Park: classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, it is home to part of the Massai community. It is one of the country's most famous parks, as much for its megafauna as for its view of Kilimanjaro. Ecovolunteering and ecotourism are also possible.
Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks: the country's largest national parks, the two entities are separated by transport infrastructures. They protect a wide variety of natural environments (wetlands at Tsavo West, including the Mzima springs, and drylands at Tsavo East).
Lake Nakuru National Park: protects the eponymous lake, where numerous birds, including pink flamingos, can be observed. It's worth noting that Lake Nakuru, like its neighbors Elementeita and Baringo, has seen its water levels rise sharply in recent years, due to deforestation, increased rainfall and seismic activity in the Rift Valley.
Maasai Mara National Park (Maasai Mara National Reserve): adjoining the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), this park is famous for its megafauna (including the "big five"), and for the "Great Migration".
Nairobi National Park: although negatively impacted by its proximity to the capital, this park is home to a wide variety of species that can be observed.
The country's biodiversity is mainly threatened by the fragmentation and destruction of natural environments (infrastructure construction), the use of pesticides and poaching. The latter is linked to demand - mainly from outside Africa - for ivory and rhinoceros horn, and to trafficking in living species. Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated situations of conflict between humans and wildlife. Repeated droughts have led to animals leaving parks and moving closer to villages. The crisis in Kenya's horticultural sector, linked to the health crisis, has led many unemployed people to practice illegal fishing in protected areas.
Virtuous approaches to waste management
Poor waste management is a source of environmental and health problems. Waste piles up in nature - but also in the bodies of livestock, according to studies carried out in slaughterhouses - or ends up burnt in landfills. In 2017, Kenya set out to reduce plastic at source. The country banned single-use plastic bags (sale, import, use). This measure, combined with strong penalties for non-compliance (prison sentences, fines), has proved a sufficient deterrent. However, there remains the problem of replacing them, in part by reusable imported plastic bags, which are less expensive than other local containers (sisal fiber shopping bags). The lack of waste collection and treatment facilities also remains a problem. In the face of this situation, however, the ingenuity of local residents is flourishing, as demonstrated by a company set up by a Kenyan woman, which aims to collect and use plastic in the manufacture of road asphalt. In another initiative, restaurant owners are reusing the biogas produced by fermenting compost and human excrement to generate energy. This is a circular economy approach that provides a solution to the lack of sanitation and its health consequences, and constitutes an alternative source of energy.
Preserve the water resource
Intensive monocultures (tea, rice, flowers) require the use of pesticides, which contribute to the pollution of lakes and rivers, environments already impacted by the lack of sanitation systems. Irrigation of flowers and livestock account for over 70% of the country's water consumption. To meet these needs, the country has created artificial reservoirs. Climate change is exacerbating droughts and, with the risk of water shortages, raising the spectre of food insecurity. In particular, the droughts of 2015, 2017 and 2019 increased the country's water stress and caused significant losses among livestock.
Facing climate change
Kenya is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite being one of the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases. Locally, global warming is leading to a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events (floods, droughts), which primarily affect the country's poorest populations. Exported products are also under threat: tea yields are already falling, and according to some studies could be halved by 2050. In 2018, floods killed around 100 people and forced almost 300,000 to move, in a country that had already suffered a drought several months earlier. The situation, which has led to a drop in yields and inflation, is also said to be the cause of outbreaks of violence in the country. In order to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, the country has implemented a strategy aimed at developing energy efficiency and renewable energies (solar, geothermal). Climate adaptation is already taking place on the ground, where local residents have implemented low-tech solutions. Examples include the Mihuti hydropower plant, made from bicycle and moped parts, and the planting of fruit trees. More high-tech solutions are also being deployed, such as motor-driven pumps for drip irrigation, or the installation of energy-efficient ovens, all funded by the UNDP.
