1) Kenya youth have engaged in climate change mitigation and adaptation through environmental education programs like the Adopt-a-Forest Initiative and Kenya Green University Network. 2) The Adopt-a-Forest Initiative has planted over 10,000 trees near universities to restore forest cover and support sustainability goals. 3) The Kenya Green University Network promotes sustainability practices and policies in higher education to incorporate low-carbon development and sustainability education.

1. Kenya Youth Engagement in Climate
Change Mitigation Adaptation
through Environmental Education
Practice
Brian Waswala
Youth Coordinator - RCE Greater Nairobi
First RCE Thematic Conference: Towards Achieving the SDGs
5-7 December 2017, Okayama, Japan
brianmarv@gmail.com / coordinator-rcegn@ku.ac.ke
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2. Selected impacts of climate change in Kenya
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Increased drought incidents / water scarcity Increased crop failure and famine
Increased vector and water-borne diseases Increased human-wildlife conflicts Increased natural resource conflicts esp. water
& pasture

3. Attributed to:
• Poor policy guides and lack of enforcement
• Non-inclusiveness in policy development and implementation
• Lack of / inadequate sustainable development education
• Competing sectors of the economy
• Lack of sustainability champions
• Education is theory designed with no / limited practicability
• Most research is academic, limited solutions to emerging problems / scenarios
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4. Established in 2012
Caucus of transdisciplinary youth volunteers – youth as untapped / under-recognised agents of change
Vision:
To be the leading force for sustainability and a hub for student engagement in championing Sustainable
Development in Kenya and beyond
Mission:
To inspire, inform, motivate and empower students to create sustainable communities around them.
We champion practical action-oriented remedies to mitigate climate change through formal, non-formal and
informal education.
Case projects / initiatives:
Adapt-a-forest-initiative, the Kenya Green University Network; and promotion of green-building standards.
More info: http://wscsd-kenya.wscsd.org/ 4

5. The Adopt-a-Forest-Initiative
• Kenya’s tree cover approximated at less than 4%
• Hinders achievement of various UN SDGs (SDG 13, 14, 15)
• Seeks to restore and increase acreage forest and river ecosystems in Kenya
• Use student organised associations, students and youth commitment
• Conducted within formal institutions – sustainability reporting
Achievements:
o Greening the under-utilized on-campus land resources;
o Promoting green entrepreneurship (SDG 1);
o Food security (SDG 2) through agroforestry and apiculture;
o Enhanced capacity for communities in environmental resilience, especially
for women, youth and marginalised communities;
o Promotion of fuel-efficient cook stoves and briquettes production as
alternative fuel-wood energy sources (SDG 7 and 12).
Over 20 tree nurseries have been set up in five universities, and 10,000 trees planted on or near Kenyan campuses.
Website: http://wscsd-kenya.wscsd.org/199-2/
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6. Kenya Green University Network
• Universities are centres of excellence and should impact their
spheres of influence
• Most universities do not promote sustainable development
education, within student learning
• Through policy design and implementation, youth in collaboration
with UN Environment, the National Environment management
Authority and the Commission of University Education
championed the formation of the Kenya Green University
Network (February 2016).
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Website link:
http://web.unep.org/africa/news/kenya-green-universities-network-launched-
promote-sustainability-practices-higher-education

7. Outputs
 Incorporation of low carbon-climate resilience development
strategies and sustainability aspects in Kenya’s higher education
institutions’ training, campus operations and student activities
(Sustainability policies and Sustainability Literacy Test:
https://www.sulitest.org/en/index.html);
 Catalysing and raising the need for more sustainable universities;
 Fostering student eco-innovations and acquisition of relevant skills
for sustainable local communities; and
 Promoting the adoption of green schools and universities.
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8. 8Kenya Green University Network Launch – 5 Feb 2016

9. WE are achieving the following:
 Positive behaviour and attitude change towards environmental
sustainability due to life-long learning in natural resource
management;
 Development of green building standards that are eco-friendly –
promoting use of ambient lighting; alternative building material;
surface rain-water collection; recycling and waste water
treatment; solar water heating and green spaces; and
 Sharing of best practices and upscale these initiatives to TVETs,
secondary and primary school initiatives.
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10. African Environmental Education and Training Action
Plan (AEETAP)
• Inadequate and uncoordinated environmental awareness
adversely contributes to environmental degradation;
• Developed to promote capacity development for future
professionals on environmental education
• Policy document facilitating and promoting
environmental awareness, education and training.
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12. AEETAP advocates for:
• Ecosystem resource management;
• Communication and dissemination of environmental material
in all forms of education;
• Increased disaster risk management;
• Holistic waste management;
• Spatial planning and urban design through green campus
designs;
• Sustainable tourism and efficient transport; and
• Water and sanitation, among other green practices.
Website: http://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/14063
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13. UN Habitat III Conference
Youth Climate Change Initiatives in relation to Kenya’s
National and UN Agenda
United Nations Environment Assembly
Resolution 2/3: Investing in human capacity for
sustainable development through environmental
education and training
UN Sustainability Accord: http://www.sdgaccord.org/

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16. Opportunities and Lessons Learnt
• Promote bottom-up approaches for CC adaptation and mitigation through
awareness
• Access to climate funding – invest on efficient technologies and good
practices
• Promote public-private partnerships on capacity development
• Promote conservation of ecosystem services
• Delve into green technology research and clean energy, food and water
efficiency
• Offer cost efficient solutions – reduce on food waste, use of biogas
• Use students as conduits of data collection and analysis, to advice policy
& standards
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“Every action that promotes a sustainable future, however small, has an impact;
Even a pebble, can cause ripples on an ocean”
Brian Waswala