Higher learning institutions in the country have been asked to actively participate in the fight against climate change and train their focus on green innovations.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) CEO, Prof Mike Kuria, noted with concern that in an era where climate change and environmental sustainability are defining the global agenda, Universities must be at the forefront of championing and amplifying the conversation to achieve its fruition.
The CEO averred that the recent climatic changes, including floods and severe droughts in the country, are an awakening call to responsible institutions, including institutions of higher learning, to develop credible actions, policies, and plans to win the war against climate change and deter the rising effects of global warming.
He noted that by doing so, the institutions will play a pivotal role in combating climate change and creating green jobs for the youth, thereby reducing unemployment rates in the country and globally.
Speaking during a tree-planting drive at Zetech University’s Mang’u campus in Witeithie, Juja Sub-county, Prof Kuria disclosed that CUE has entered into a partnership with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), which will see a distribution of over 20,000 seedlings to universities across the country for planting.
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The CEO quipped that the move is in tandem with the Government’s plans to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to restore forests and tackle the effects of climate change.
He asserted that rapid changes in land use and an increase in industries that emit carbon have mainly contributed to the deterioration of the environment, thereby exposing the country to the severe effects of global warming.
“Deliberate and concerted efforts must be adopted to salvage the environment from further squalor and restore it. We have engaged KFS to secure seedlings for universities so that we can collaboratively engage in the restoration and conservation of our environment,” Prof Kuria said.
At the same time, he challenged higher learning institutions to plant trees that contribute to their core business, teaching and research.
“It’s a good idea to think about the utility of the trees; in many places, they say that if you can convince the community that there is a value to the tree that they are planting, they are more likely to take care of those trees,” he said.
The CEO also challenged Universities and other institutions of higher learning in the country to focus on and embark on green innovations that will offer solutions to environmental and social matters.
He cited some of Zetech University’s green innovations, including the AirSafi air-purification project and the Smart Pest Deterrent System.
“These inventions demonstrate the institution’s capacity to find solutions that address pressing environmental and social issues,” he said.
Zetech University Vice Chancellor Prof Njenga Munene said the University has invested heavily in environmental conservation, citing seedling orchards within the institution.
“Climate change is real, and it’s here with us. We have witnessed floods and severe droughts in our country. It’s high time that we collaboratively engage to tackle this menace. We’ll achieve this by planting trees and embarking on green innovations and solutions,” he said.
He noted that the University has been engaging the community in tree-planting drives to sensitise them to participate actively in the war against climate change.
Prof Munene also reiterated that the institution is committed to creating technologies that serve society and promote environmental sustainability.
By Kamau Njoroge
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