Three-pronged approach we must take to survive perennial drought

Locals search for water in Bula, in the Balambala sub-county in Garissa. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

It is now no longer in doubt that we are living through one of the worst droughts in our country's history. Finding a lasting solution to this crisis will require responsibility at three levels namely individual, corporate and international levels.

Firstly, our Constitution enshrines personal responsibility when it grants sovereign power to 'we the people.' Every single Kenyan is captured in these three words.

As such, we should take our individual responsibility to effect lasting environmental, economic and social change.

On the environmental front, we should take personal responsibility to plant and nurture the 15 billion trees that our President has called out for. We can do this by embracing the 'Plant your Age' campaign or any other.

I urge all of us to celebrate our birthdays by growing trees commensurate with our ages. Don't wait for anyone to buy those tree seedlings for you. Invest financially and emotionally in that initiative.

At our household levels, every day is a tree growing day because as you drink your water and take a shower you can happily share the water with that which is providing oxygen next to you.

Furthermore, responsibility goes far beyond tree growing so, identify the voids and take up your space.

Secondly, time is ripe for us to focus on corporate responsibility. This means a national collective responsibility where the governments, corporations, faith-based institutions and all our communal faculties and groupings are committed to taking corporate responsibility and not just the often-marginal public relations exercises.

A common and passionate responsibility of replenishing both the environment and sustainable livelihoods.

For instance, the construction sector extracts massive amounts of sand and water from the environment and in so doing exacerbates water scarcity and land degradation.

Corporate responsibility will obligate all major construction firms to ensure total river ecosystem restoration in the Lower Eastern regions.

How can we possibly have such massive investments in sky-scrappers and multi-billion shilling estates where investors wreck home loads of money when the communities where they harvested sand from, are currently languishing in drought?

Shouldn't there be a passionate obligation towards replenishment because uncontrolled sand harvesting depletes groundwater considerably?

Before declaring profits, captains from the lucrative construction industry which thankfully contributes 5.5 per cent to Kenya's GDP, can we consider corporate responsibility as presented here by funding construction of millions of the easily achievable sand dams across the affected regions?

Can you imagine the number of roads Kenya has constructed in the last ten years? Where did the contractors vigorously harvest the ballast and water from? Is it not from communities who are now suffering drought and unmatched pain?

Did the contractors passionately plough back the worth to replenish the environmental degradation and the livelihoods of our people?

Hasn't the mining and tourism sectors reported mind boggling profits in their books? Can the Taita and Maa communities relate to such returns? I therefore see a need for our honourable houses of Parliament to enact laws that will make it obligatory for corporate responsibility towards replenishment of natural capital for common good.

Finally, the international community must also take responsibility and pay for its ongoing emission of greenhouse gases. In Europe, the buildings sector consumes 40 per cent of energy. A substantial part of this energy emits harmful greenhouse gases.

Indeed, players must fast track implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP27 which aims at providing financial assistance to nations like Kenya, which are most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

African countries should reconsider diplomatic relations with developed countries that will not pay up their share of this loss and damage fund within the stipulated timeframe.

Unless we take responsibility at the three levels and choose to be accountable, we shall be found finger pointing in the mist of the ravaging drought. Think green act green!