Strategy, recognizing that land degradation includes the loss of the various ecosystem services provided by soils.
114 This recognition is in harmony with the sustainable soil management approach proposed by the Revised World Soils Charter
discussed earlier. The Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy further reports that due
to pressure from agriculture, both soil and water resources are being degraded
through erosion, salinization, seawater intrusion; and groundwater depletion, and
that the current model of intensive agriculture is associated with a high carbon and
greenhouse gas footprint, and highly vulnerable to the predicted impacts of climate
change.
115 Taking this further, Kenya implements its NDC through a National
Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) that is mandated by the 2016 Climate
Change Act
116 as the tool for mainstreaming climate change actions across all
sectors of Kenya’s economy. The draft 2018–2023 NCCAP prioritizes increasing
food and nutrition security, and indicates that within that period, Kenya will implement climate smart agricultural practices by increasing land under sustainable land
management for agricultural production.
117
It is estimated that this action will support the reclamation of 60,000 ha of degraded
land; increase land area under integrated soil nutrient management increased by
250,000 acres while implementing minimum or no tillage conservation agriculture
over the same acreage; and increase agro-forestry coverage by 200,000 acres.
118
In addition to building resilience and enhancing adaptive capacity of food, nutrition
and income security, these actions are expected to enhance mitigation through GHG
emission reductions of 0.55 MtCO2e by 2022 (conservation tillage), and 1.66 MtCO2e
by 2022 (agroforestry).
119 2018 capacity building forum for African nations in context
of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme and implementation of NDCs on agriculture reiterated that agriculture has a key role to play in climate
change adaptation and mitigation, especially in developing countries.
120 There is
therefore opportunity for African countries to prioritize actions on adaptation and
mitigation with soil management, to deliver adaptation and mitigation co-benefits. In
so doing, African nations should focus also on transboundary actions concerning
neighbouring and contiguous countries to ensure that wrong action or non-action by
neighbours does not have deleterious effects. This will also consolidate implementation
of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
114 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018a) Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy
2017–2026, p. 50.
115 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018a) Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy
2017–2026, p. 50.
116 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2016) Climate Change Act, No. 11 of 2016, section 13.
117 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
118 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
119 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
120 CGIAR (2018).
32
R. Kibugi
114 This recognition is in harmony with the sustainable soil management approach proposed by the Revised World Soils Charter
discussed earlier. The Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy further reports that due
to pressure from agriculture, both soil and water resources are being degraded
through erosion, salinization, seawater intrusion; and groundwater depletion, and
that the current model of intensive agriculture is associated with a high carbon and
greenhouse gas footprint, and highly vulnerable to the predicted impacts of climate
change.
115 Taking this further, Kenya implements its NDC through a National
Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) that is mandated by the 2016 Climate
Change Act
116 as the tool for mainstreaming climate change actions across all
sectors of Kenya’s economy. The draft 2018–2023 NCCAP prioritizes increasing
food and nutrition security, and indicates that within that period, Kenya will implement climate smart agricultural practices by increasing land under sustainable land
management for agricultural production.
117
It is estimated that this action will support the reclamation of 60,000 ha of degraded
land; increase land area under integrated soil nutrient management increased by
250,000 acres while implementing minimum or no tillage conservation agriculture
over the same acreage; and increase agro-forestry coverage by 200,000 acres.
118
In addition to building resilience and enhancing adaptive capacity of food, nutrition
and income security, these actions are expected to enhance mitigation through GHG
emission reductions of 0.55 MtCO2e by 2022 (conservation tillage), and 1.66 MtCO2e
by 2022 (agroforestry).
119 2018 capacity building forum for African nations in context
of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme and implementation of NDCs on agriculture reiterated that agriculture has a key role to play in climate
change adaptation and mitigation, especially in developing countries.
120 There is
therefore opportunity for African countries to prioritize actions on adaptation and
mitigation with soil management, to deliver adaptation and mitigation co-benefits. In
so doing, African nations should focus also on transboundary actions concerning
neighbouring and contiguous countries to ensure that wrong action or non-action by
neighbours does not have deleterious effects. This will also consolidate implementation
of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
114 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018a) Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy
2017–2026, p. 50.
115 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018a) Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy
2017–2026, p. 50.
116 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2016) Climate Change Act, No. 11 of 2016, section 13.
117 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
118 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
119 Government of the Republic of Kenya (2018b) Draft National Climate Change Action Plan
2018–2023, p. 45.
120 CGIAR (2018).
32
R. Kibugi