Natural
resources are gifts that we get from the environment. We depend on them for our
survival like water, land, soil, fossils, fuels, energy, minerals and biodiversity. But majority of these resources
are available to us for a price. In urban areas we pay water bills, electrical
bills and buy fuels for our vehicles. Resources that are far from us are
brought closer to us to ease access .We enjoy this resources without caring
much about where it came from, for example we buy fuel at a petrol station but
we have no idea where it comes from, is it from Nigeria? The Middle East?.It
doesn’t usually bother us but when the fuel prices go up it becomes our concern,
it’s the same with water and electricity. When we face shortages of natural
resources we complain but our actions are leading to this. Currently the
government of Kenya has opted for green energy that will reduce the prices of
electricity in the country. Before we were dependent on hydro power but the
current climate change led to decrease in water levels which led to increase in
energy prices and rationing in the country. When deforestation was taking place
and pollution we enjoyed the money from selling that timber but we complained
about high electricity. To enjoy this natural resources we should conserve what
we already have around us. Like the forest, land, water because if we don’t we
will feel its effects either directly or indirectly. Whether these resources
are far or closer to us we should take an individual step to conserve what is
around us. Take for example water in Uasin Gishu county comes from as far
Chebara in Marakwet, Elgeyo Marakwet county .The majority of the people in
Uasin Gishu county who consume this water have never been to chebara dam and
maybe they don’t even know where it is located .Lets say the residents around
Chebara dam decide the charcoal business will benefit them and they embark on
cutting down trees for sale. The tree cover will reduce in the area and the
water level will reduce in chebara dam and the residence of Uasin Gishu will
suffer water shortages or rationing and in a worst case scenario they will we
have to opt for other sources like buying from water vendors. Water from a
vendor is approximately one hundred
Kenya shillings a day for a regular household for daily chaos without washing clothes
which is almost seven hundred shillings a week unlike the usual water bill
which is almost six hundred per month for regular Kenyan. The residents of Uasin
Gishu will pay the price of the actions of residents in Chebara, whereas
residents around Chebara will face the adverse effects of climate change. They
will face drought and unpredicted weather patterns .The effects will be the
consequence of their actions, but people of county will suffer for the actions
they did not contribute to. Residents of Chebara will suffer but will the county
of Uasin Gishu be of help?? Will they help in combating these effects? Though
the water is supplied to Uasin Gishu should they take part in conserving the
resources around Chebara dam like Embobut forest? Destroying the environment
affect us all whether we contributed directly to its destruction .Adverse
effects of climate change are not discriminatory. It does not matter if you are
the one contributing to the destruction of nature or you are the victim but we
all have collective responsibility to safeguard environment or we and innocent
animals and plants perish
Author: Angela Keter
Email: kangela@scopeintervention.org
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