Sustainable development has been the focus in many nations as the world seeks to mitigate the environmental risks that come with industrialization. So, how has Kenya utilized international legal frameworks in its environmental management and conservation? Moreover, what role has Kenya played on the international front when it comes to environmental management and conservation? This guide dives into Kenyan environmental frameworks in regard to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The Paris Agreement

As other countries strive to protect their environments, Kenya has utilized international legal frameworks greatly in its environmental management and conservation efforts. In this regard, Kenya is a signatory of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change of 2015, which was signed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France. Per this agreement, Kenya is expected to perform or meet certain expectations when it comes to its efforts in environmental management and conservation in a bid to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

The Paris Agreement stated that in this century, countries that are signatories to this agreement (these are 196 countries) must work hand-in-hand using international legal frameworks under this agreement to help deal with the issue of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to less than two degrees Celsius. It’s important to note that this was the level before industrialization happened across the globe.

To this end, signatory countries, including Kenya, are expected to come up with another National Climate Change Action Plan and Strategy that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, countries that are a signatory to this agreement are also expected to use renewable resources for their energy needs, including energy from renewable resources such as hydro, solar, and wind.

It is worth noting that Kenya is leading in some of these efforts such as in the use of geothermal energy and wind energy, as evidenced by several notable projects in the country that have been supported by Kenyan environmental frameworks.

The Role of the Paris Agreement in Kenyan Environmental Frameworks

Kenya, being a signatory of the Paris Agreement, has several mandates that have influenced Kenyan environmental frameworks. First, it is expected to come up with efficient ways to use its energy, and these should also be sustainable in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, it is expected to review its National Climate Strategy and Action Plan every 5 years.

Thirdly, it is expected to protect and conserve its natural resources, including its forests, in a better way and thus increase its percentage of land under forest cover so that it can help deal with the effects of climate change, such as floods and drought. In this regard, Kenya has again strived to ensure it is ahead of the pack by planting millions of trees. Led by government officials who have worked in line with Kenyan environmental frameworks, it has created a campaign to rally the nation in tree planting activities and to ensure that the public understands the need to plant trees and to conserve and manage our environment and natural resources.

Fourthly, Kenya is expected to protect its water resources and water reservoirs sustainably and to ensure that water is used prudently. Through Kenyan environmental frameworks, the country has managed to hit key milestones in its quest to hold up its end of the agreement.

The Convention on Biological Diversity and Kenyan Environmental Frameworks

Kenya is also a signatory of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In this regard, Kenya is expected to come up with a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, and Kenya has already come up with one to help it deal with its natural biodiversity and conserve it sustainably.

Along this line, Kenya has worked to prudently utilize its natural biodiversity and conserve the same through promoting sustainable tourism. Kenya has also strived to conserve its natural biodiversity by emphasizing sustainable practices in agriculture, bearing in mind our conservation and environmental management efforts. Kenya has also strived to ensure that our local communities benefit from our natural biodiversity, as outlined in several Kenyan environmental frameworks.

Additionally, Kenya has set up national parks to protect and conserve its natural biodiversity. It has also worked to ensure that traditional knowledge regarding its natural biodiversity is well-kept and utilized for the benefit of all. Moreover, it has worked to enact laws that ensure the sustainable use, management, and conservation of its natural biodiversity.

The Influence of Global Goals on Kenyan Environmental Frameworks

It is hence clear from the above that Kenya has benefited a great deal from international legal frameworks through the international agreements and conventions it has signed, including the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. But that’s not all, as Kenya has also received the following perks:

• It has received funding for its various environmental conservation and management projects, such as through the Paris Agreement, which strives to fund developing countries to ensure they manage and conserve the environment in a better way and sustainably in a bid to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions levels.
• Kenya has benefited from learning from international best practices and international laws that are being used to help conserve and manage the environment and it has imported these laws after signing these agreements and conventions into its own legal frameworks. These have helped a great deal in Kenya’s management and conservation of the environment.
• Kenya has also benefited from technical expertise in gaining international partners in its environmental conservation and management journey, and this has boiled down to how we manage our investment in a more efficient, effective, and sustainable way.

From these and more advantages, it is evident that Kenya has benefited greatly from being a signatory of international agreements and conventions in regard to the environment. These have also played a key role in the Kenyan environmental frameworks that govern how we manage, conserve, and utilize our natural resources and biodiversity sustainably, efficiently, and effectively.